Scooter Bruan claimed in a recent interview that after purchasing the rights to Taylor Swift’s studio albums in 2019, he “learned an essential lesson.”
Scooter Braun is all too aware of the implications of his behaviour.
The music executive hasn’t forgotten the turmoil that accompanied the acquisition of Big Machine Music Group—and the rights to Taylor Swift’s first six albums—more than three years ago. However, in an interview with NPR’s Jay Williams on September 27, Scooter said he wished there were some situations he might have handled differently.
He said, “I had an important lesson to learn. “I couldn’t tell any other artists about the contract since I was bound by a very strong NDA with the owner. I was forbidden to. I was unable to do so lawfully.”
Scooter went on “Working with each artist on the label intrigued me. So when we sealed the transaction, I began calling people to introduce myself and tell that I was a part of it. Before I could even start, I made four phone calls and had those calls begun when all hell broke loose.”
He’s probably making reference to the time Taylor publicly stated on social media why the acquisition was “my worst case scenario.”
As soon as Scooter Braun bought her master’s degree, she wrote, “I learned about it.” All I could think about was the years of relentless, deceptive bullying I’ve endured at his hands.
Taylor claimed Scooter’s team wanted her to sign an NDA that said, “I would never say another word about Scooter Braun unless it was positive, before we could even look at the financial records of BMLG,” when she attempted to negotiate with him to reclaim ownership of her master recordings in November 2020.
Scooter expressed in his most recent interview his opinion that many things “get lost in translation.”
He said, “I believe that if you’re not willing to have a talk with someone, I believe that it’s very difficult to resolve a disagreement with them. “So my regret there is that I believed that everyone would have a conversation with me after the contract was closed, evaluate my motivation and character, and then say, “Great, let’s do business together.” And while talking to folks I didn’t know, I assumed that.”
Scooter said, “I learnt a valuable lesson from that, and I can never make that assumption again. “I won’t put myself in the position of thinking that someone would just be happy to work with me and be willing to talk to me. These people are not people I know.”
However, Scooter and Taylor really met before the contentious music contract was ever finalised. His performer Justin Bieber opened the Fearless tour in 2010 for the “Shake It Off” singer.
Additionally, Scooter reflected on how many people at Big Machine, including Taylor, contributed to the pleasant experience in a 2019 interview with Billboard. He remarked, “Everyone was nice to Justin and me when we were doing the programme, and you don’t forget those things.” We forged a bond as a result of me never forgetting that.
Scooter has now stated that he is “going to move on” from the scandal, but Taylor still makes songs for her followers.
The singer started re-recording her classic records when her masters were sold. The Grammy-winning artist has previously re-recorded Fearless and Red (Taylor’s Version) since 2021.
Taylor said in August that she would be releasing a new album in October, titled Midnights.
In regards to the new interview, E! News has contacted Big Machine Music Group and Taylor’s agent, but neither party has responded.