Taylor Swift says AMAs performance in jeopardy over music dispute

LOS ANGELES – Taylor Swift says she may not perform at the American Music Awards because the men who own her old recordings won’t allow her to play her songs.

FILE – This May 8, 2018 file photo shows Taylor Swift performing during her “Reputation Stadium Tour” opener in Glendale, Ariz. Swift says she may not be performing at the American Music Awards because the men who own her old recordings won’t allow her to play her songs. Swift said on Instagram Thursday that she planned to play a medley of her hits when she’s named Artist of the Decade at the American Music Awards on Nov. 24. But Swift says the men who own the music, Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta, are calling the performance an illegal re-recording. (Photo by Rick Scuteri/Invision/AP, File)

Swift said on Twitter and Instagram Thursday that she planned to play a medley of her hits when she’s named Artist of the Decade at the American Music Awards on Nov. 24.

But Swift says the men who own the music, Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta, are calling the performance an illegal re-recording. She says an upcoming Netflix documentary is also “a question mark.”

Swift has spoken out against her old master recordings falling into the hands of the music manager Braun, who bought them by acquiring Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group in June.

Messages to representatives for both men and the AMAs weren’t immediately returned.

Swift called on her legion of fans to put pressure on Braun and Borchetta to allow her performance to go forward.

That ignited social media, with the hashtags “IStandWithTaylor” and “FreeTaylor” to trend worldwide on Twitter.

GSG