By Christina Cannady | Photographer
Whether you like her music or not, everyone knows the name Taylor Swift. In 2006, she signed on with Big Machine Records with her first hit single “Tim McGraw” from her self-titled album. Many might associate her first hit song with Love Story, but this one didn’t hit the charts until 2008 on her second album, Fearless. Today, Swift has nine studio albums, with a discography ranging from country, to pop, to alternative.
In 2019, Scooter Braun, record executive, purchased Big Machine Records, along with, at the time, Swift’s first six albums. Swift’s contract with the company was up and she decided to sign on with Republic Records to have more freedom with her music. She approached Braun about buying back her albums for ownership rights, offering an estimated $300 million. He declined.
At that point she decided her best option was to re-record her albums. She was allowed to do so beginning November 2020. To date, we’ve only heard the remastered song, Love Story, featured on a commercial for Match.com in which Satan is dating the year 2020.
The lesson learned from this ordeal is that artists should be entitled to their own work. She is an advocate for changing the standard for struggling artists, who are often conned out of benefiting the most from their own work for the benefit of the record label to which they sign on with.
Another notable power move from Miss Swift is her $1 sexual assault lawsuit. In 2013 at a fan meet-and-greet before a show, Swift was groped by Denver radio DJ David “Jackson” Mueller. During the photo he lifted her skirt and grabbed her bare buttocks. Like many women who are afraid of causing a fuss or not being believed, she did not immediately take legal action, but instead told her mom and her team.
This resulted in Mueller being fired for his misconduct. He decided to take legal action first against Swift, suing her for $3 million for ruining his career. At that point, she decided to countersue him for a mere $1.
“You should not be blamed for waiting 15 minutes or 15 days or 15 years to report sexual assault or harassment, or for the outcome of what happens to a person after he or she makes the choice to sexually harass or assault you,” Swift said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Swift won the court battle and a judge dismissed Mueller’s case, determining Swift cannot be blamed for the outcome of Mueller’s career.
In addition to Swift being a powerful voice in business, she of course has a powerful voice in music. In 2019, she made history at the American Music Awards, becoming Artist of the Decade and the most awarded AMA artist, surpassing Michael Jackson’s record of 24 all-time wins. She also has 10 Grammy Awards, nine Academy of Country Music awards, 23 Billboard Music awards and much more under her belt.
Many associate her with only writing breakup songs, which she does, but she also writes about new love, difficult love, LGBT awareness, gender stereotypes, political activism, her own family, of which one song even has a nod to the COVID-19 pandemic, and so much more.
If you have ever listened to an old song of hers and developed an opinion, give her another listen. With every new album comes a new era and sound, with poetic lyrics straight from your own diary.
As of right now, Swift officially owns her newest three albums, Lover, and the sister albums Folklore and Evermore. We hope to see her release the new recordings of her old masters this year and continue making music history.
