Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood | Image: Discovery+
Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun‘s highly publicized feud is set to be explored in a two-part docuseries titled “Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood,” which will premiere on June 21 on Discovery+.
Based on the show’s description, the story will follow the battle between the global pop star and Braun over their $300 million dispute after the latter acquired the rights to Swift’s first six albums.
The documentary is expected to feature sentiments from legal experts, journalists, and those close to both Swift and Braun, to present each side of the argument. It is inclined to examine the dynamics of music ownership and the power of fan influence.
“True to the ‘vs’ format, the two episodes will examine the opposing sides of the argument, one exploring Swift’s side that the sale was conducted without consulting her and that she has since been blocked from buying back her masters, and the other examining Braun’s allegations that Swift refused to negotiate and instead incited a public feud by pitting her fan base against him,” the press release said.
In 2019, Braun’s media company, Ithaca Holdings, obtained a deal with Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Label Group, the previous owner of Swift’s masters, making Braun the new holder of Swift’s first six albums, such as “Taylor Swift,” “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989,” and “Reputation.”
At the time, Swift condemned the business deal as she penned a lengthy statement on Tumblr, calling it her “worst-case scenario” and citing that she experienced “bullying” from Braun for years.
“This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen with someone for whom the term ‘loyalty’ is clearly just a contractual concept. And when that man says ‘Music has value’, he means its value is beholden to men who had no part in creating it,” wrote Swift at the time.
“This is Scooter Braun, bullying me on social media when I was at my lowest point. He’s about to own all the music I’ve ever made,” added the pop star, as she shared an Instagram screenshot referring to the bullying.
In August of the same year, the “Lover” singer announced her plans to re-record her first six albums in an attempt to regain the rights to them. As of the moment, Swift had successfully re-recorded “Fearless” (Taylor’s Version, 2021), “Red” (Taylor’s Version, 2021), “Speak Now” (Taylor’s Version, 2023), and “1989” (Taylor’s Version, 2023).
Meanwhile, Braun recently announced his retirement as a music manager after rising to fame for representing artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, among others, as he intends to focus as a board member of HYBE and CEO of HYBE America, the South Korean entertainment company.