Global pop icon Taylor Swift has officially secured complete ownership of her entire music catalogue, marking a milestone in a journey that has spanned nearly two decades.
In a statement posted on her official website, the 35-year-old Grammy-winning singer described the moment as “the reality of my greatest dream”, revealing she had been overwhelmed with emotion since learning the news.
“All of the music I’ve ever made now belongs to me. I’ve been bursting into tears of joy… ever since I found out this is really happening,” Swift wrote. “To say this is my greatest dream come true is actually being pretty reserved about it.”
Swift’s battle to reclaim her masters began in June 2019, when music executive Scooter Braun acquired Big Machine Records, the label with which she released her first six albums. That deal gave Braun control over the master recordings of ‘Taylor Swift,’ ‘Fearless,’ ‘Speak Now,’ ‘Red,’ ‘1989,’ and ‘Reputation.’
The singer fiercely opposed the sale, publicly accusing Braun of being involved in “relentless and manipulative bullying” through his client Kanye West. Since then, Swift has taken the unprecedented step of re-recording her early albums under the “Taylor’s Version” banner to regain control over her work.
Okay.ng reports that Swift expressed gratitude to her fans for their unwavering support throughout the ordeal.
“I can’t thank you enough for helping to reunite me with this art that I have dedicated my life to, but have never owned until now,” she said. “I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled and then yanked away. But that’s all in the past now.”
Swift began writing songs at the age of 14 and signed with Big Machine in 2005 as a budding country music star. She released six critically acclaimed albums before moving to Republic Records in 2018.
Now recognised as one of the most influential artists of her generation, Taylor Swift has sold over 200 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling digital artistes in history. She holds the title of the highest-grossing female touring act and is the most-streamed female artist on Spotify and Apple Music.
