Yahoo News Taylor Swift music foe announces retirement on eve of her Cardiff gig
Controversial music mogul Scooter Braun, who famously feuded with Taylor Swift, has announced his retirement from music management. Braun said in a lengthy 1,400-word statement that he will "cherish every moment" of managing world-renowned artists.
In his 23-year career his client roster has included the likes of Justin Bieber, Kanye West and Ariana Grande. But the 42-year-old found himself the centre of a dispute with Swift in 2019, after he acquired Big Machine Records, where Swift had recorded her first six albums, before she signed a new record deal with another label.
The acquisition meant Braun became the owner of work copyrighted by Big Machine - including Swift's masters (original sound recordings). That in turn meant anybody who wanted to licence any of her back catalogue of music for a film or TV show would have to get Braun’s permission - and pay him a fee. Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news
On her Tumblr account in June 2019, Swift explained she had tried to buy back her masters but Big Machine had offered an unfavourable deal. "For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in," she wrote.
"I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta [CEO of Big Machine Records] would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future. I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past. Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums." For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here
The controversy was highly publicised and saw Swift re-record four of her albums over two years, renaming them 'Taylor's Version', so she could gain full ownership of her music. Later in August 2023, reports emerged other artists - including Demi Lovato, Grande and Idina Menzel - had cut ties with Braun's management.
Now Braun, 42, has cited wanting to focus on his family - namely his three children - as a motivation for his decision. He added he is moving on to serve as the CEO of HYBE America, a subsidiary of the South Korean entertainment content platform. He claimed he has "nothing but love" for the musicians he has worked with – even the artists who have distanced themselves from him to “spread their wings".
The news of his retirement, which comes on the eve of Swift's hugely anticipated gig in Cardiff, has delighted her fans, affectionately known as Swifties. Reacting to the news one fan account wrote: "And nothing but loud cheers were heard across the world."
