Taylor Swift Says Big Machine’s Plan to Release Live Album is “Shameless Greed”

Taylor Swift took to Instagram yesterday to inform her fans that she is not in support of her former record label, Big Machine’s plan to release an album of past live performances.

“Hey guys –  I want to thank my fans for making me aware that my former record label is putting out an ‘album’ of live performances of mine tonight. This recording is from a 2008 radio show performance I did when I was 18. Big Machine has listed the date as a 2017 release but they’re actually releasing it tonight at midnight,” she said in an Instagram story, per THR.

“I’m always honest with you guys about this stuff so I just wanted to tell you that this release is not approved by me. It looks to me like Scooter Braun and his financial backers, 23 Capital, Alex Soros and the Soros family and The Carlyle Group have seen the latest balance sheets and realized that paying $330 MILLION for my music wasn’t exactly a wise choice and they need money,” she added, including in her note a crying-laughing emoji.

“In my opinion…Just another case of shameless greed in the time of Coronavirus. So tasteless, but very transparent,” concluded Swift.

Recall that in June 2019, Swift wrote on Tumblr that she was “sad and grossed out” after Braun purchased the rights to her first six studio albums. Braun’s Ithaca Holdings acquired Big Machine, and with it the entire catalog Swift released through the label, founded by Scott Borchetta.

“I feel very strongly that sharing what is happening to me could change the awareness level for other artists and potentially help them avoid a similar fate. The message being sent to me is very clear. Basically, be a good little girl and shut up. Or you’ll be punished. This is WRONG. Neither of these men had a hand in the writing of those songs,” Swift wrote in part at the time. “They did nothing to create the relationship I have with my fans.”