Scooter Braun has done a rare podcast interview and, predictably, Taylor Swift came up pretty quickly.
Appearing on Suzy Weiss’ Second Thought podcast, Braun revisited the 2019 Big Machine deal that saw him acquire the masters to Swift’s first six albums, setting off one of the most public artist-industry standoffs in recent memory.
Reflecting on the backlash, Braun said he was blindsided by how quickly public sentiment turned.
“[I] went from being, like, loved and appreciated for over a decade to literally a villain the next night,” he said.
He also pushed back on the long-held assumption that he and Swift had any kind of real relationship prior to the fallout. “I don’t know Taylor Swift,” he said. “I think I’ve met her in my life three times. I have never had a substantial conversation with her in my life.”
“There’s this big misconception that, like, we knew each other and we had this feud and I managed her for years,” he continued. “People are usually shocked to find out that I legitimately don’t know her.”
According to Braun, their most significant interaction was brief and cordial. “I one time got invited to a private party by her. She told me she had the utmost respect for me. I told her I had the most respect for her.” He added that there was no contact in the years leading up to his acquisition of Big Machine.
“I will never truly understand that situation,” he said. “To this day, I wish her nothing but the best.”
He also framed the situation as part of a bigger industry shift. “Labels make bets on artists, and they own the masters… what it did bring to light is that artists are going to start wanting to own their masters,” he said, adding that he thinks that change is “great”.
Notably, in the same interview, Braun also spoke about the period he managed Kanye West — who has his own long-running and very public feud with Swift, dating back to the infamous “Imma let you finish” interruption at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
Braun described working with West as “an incredible run”, recalling moments of creative brilliance and calling some of his ideas “some of the most genius moments I’ve ever seen”. At the same time, he addressed West’s more recent controversies, including antisemitic remarks.
“The things that he’s gone through and the things he’s said have been very upsetting to me,” Braun said, noting his family’s history in the Holocaust. He added that while he hasn’t spoken to West in a long time, he still believes in giving people “an opportunity for growth”.
These days, Braun is largely out of artist management and focused on his personal life including dating Sydney Sweeney and new ventures.
Lead image: Getty / Instagram
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