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Warner Bros. Discover (WBD) U.K. and Ireland has commissioned a docuseries that will give viewers an in-depth look into the publicized feud between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun. The docuseries, tentatively titled Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood, is slated to premiere in the U.K. and Ireland on Discovery+ in June 2024.
On May 7, Discovery+ announced that the two-parter will delve into the dispute between Swift and Braun. It ended with the singer losing the rights to her masters after the music mogul purchased her first six albums for $300 million in June 2019.
Following this, the pop star re-released four of her six albums with the added tagline "(Taylor's Version)" to reclaim ownership, the sales of which aided her to reach the billionaire status.
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The docuseries will explore both sides of the feud between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun
According to Variety, each hour-long episode of the docuseries will give viewers a glimpse into both sides of the story, with each episode dedicated to each party to tell their version. The docuseries will follow the format of the other WBD U.K. "vs." series, including Johnny vs. Amber and Kim vs. Kanye: The Divorce.
The logline for the series reads:
"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."
In 2019, Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings purchased Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Records and, along with it, Taylor Swift's catalog for $300 million. Swift signed her record deal with Big Machine Record in 2005 when she was 15 years old, and the label produced her first six albums - Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation.
In a Tumblr blog post, the Shake It Off hitmaker alleged that she came to know of the acquisition "as it was announced to the world." Taylor Swift deemed Braun an "incessant, manipulative" bully.
"All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years. This is my worst-case scenario. This is what happens when you sign a deal at fifteen to someone for whom the term 'loyalty' is clearly just a contractual concept."
Taylor Swift also claimed that Borchetta blocked her attempts at acquiring the rights to her first six albums. At that time, Scooter Braun denied these allegations, claiming that Swift was aware of the deal and intentionally aimed to create a public feud by turning her fans against him by "refusing to negotiate."
In 2022, he appeared in NPR's The Limits podcast to address the issue, where he admitted that "a lot of things got last in translation" and expressed regret over how he handled the situation.
The docuseries will explore gender dynamics in the music industry
According to NME, the two-part docuseries will explore the dispute between Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun in detail, with legal experts, journalists, and insiders from both parties giving interviews.
The docuseries will also reportedly delve into music rights, gender dynamics in the music industry, and fandom culture associated with the artist. Charlotte Reid, VP of commissioning for WBD U.K.'s networks and streaming, added:
"It's a high-profile, high-interest story that opened debate on fandom and dominated headlines, one which will resonate with our viewers who are highly engaged with access-led documentaries like 'vs.' which continues to be a popular format on Discovery+."
Since the mishap, Taylor Swift has been vocal about an artist's right to ownership of their material, paving the way for many artists to be vigilant of recording labels. In a 2019 interview with Billboard, she explained her reasoning behind wanting to own her music.
"I spent 10 years of my life trying rigorously to purchase my masters outright and was then denied that opportunity, and I just don't want that to happen to another artist if I can help it. I do want my music to live on. I do want it to be in movies, I do want it to be in commercials. But I only want that if I own it."
Since 2019, Taylor Swift has been signed with Republic Records, under which she released her new albums and re-released her old albums. On April 19, 2024, she released The Tortured Poets Department, her 11th studio album.
Taylor Swift is currently on the Europe and U.K. leg of The Eras Tour.
