Lessons Learned by Taylor Swift from Scooter Braun and Kanye West Drama: The Disposal of Trash
Taylor Swift reflects on the valuable lessons she has gained from her highly publicized conflicts with Scooter Braun and Kanye West, emphasizing the notion that trash takes itself out Discover the profound insights she has acquired through these experiences
Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun and Kanye West. Getty Images (3)
Taylor Swift is reviving her image with each new album, and in the process, she has gained valuable insights from her highly-publicized conflicts. In her cover story for TIME's 2023 Person of the Year issue, published on December 6, the 33-year-old singer opened up about the challenges and triumphs she has experienced in her career. Reflecting on her ongoing feud with Scooter Braun over the rights to her music and her enduring conflict with Kanye West, Swift boldly stated, "Let there be no doubt - my career was stolen from me."
With almost 20 years of experience in the industry, Swift has faced her fair share of challenges. "Nothing lasts forever," she said. "That's why I make sure to appreciate every moment that I get to do what I love at this level, because it has been taken away from me before. One thing I've learned is that my reaction to anything that happens, whether good or bad, is to keep creating. Keep making art."
Additionally, Swift stated, "I've also learned that there's no benefit in actively trying to defeat your enemies. Trash always takes itself out in the end."
In 2016, Swift described her conflict with West and Kim Kardashian as a "career death" and felt attacked by critics. This conflict began in 2009 when West interrupted Swift's award speech and escalated when he mentioned her in his song "Famous."
During the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on September 13, 2009 in New York City, Kayne West unexpectedly leapt onstage as Taylor Swift was accepting her ‘Best Female Video’ award. Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Swift's representatives criticized the "misogynistic" lyrics at the time, but Kardashian supported her then-husband by posting footage on Snapchat of Swift and West discussing the song over the phone. In the video, Swift seemed to give her approval, but she later stated that the video did not tell the whole story.
"You have a completely fabricated setup, with an illegally recorded phone call that Kim Kardashian edited and released to portray me as a liar," she told TIME. "This took a toll on me mentally like never before. I moved to a foreign country. I didn't leave my rental house for a year. I was afraid to answer phone calls. I distanced myself from most people because I no longer trusted anyone. I hit rock bottom."
Swift was concerned that the public's reaction to the scandal and her album, Reputation, would have a lasting negative impact on her. She also felt that her record label, Big Machine, was not fully supportive of her creative decisions. As a result, Swift switched to Republic Records in 2018. A year later, it was revealed that Braun's Ithaca Holdings had acquired Big Machine Label Group for $300 million, making him the owner of Swift's first six albums: Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and Reputation. This connection to West added further complexity to the situation.
"In her cover story, Swift revealed her dismay at the sale of her masters to someone with questionable intentions. Feeling defeated, she embarked on a mission to rerecord her early albums and regain ownership of her music. So far, she has released updated versions of Fearless, Red, Speak Now, and 1989, featuring both classic tracks and previously unreleased songs from the vault."
“It’s all in how you deal with loss,” she said of the project. “I respond to extreme pain with defiance.”
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After facing intense conflicts, Swift used to retreat from public view. Now, she handles heated situations differently. "I've realized I don't have the energy to get worked up about insignificant things," she commented on living in the public eye. "Sure, there may be chaos when I go out, but I still want to enjoy dinner with my friends."
She added: “Life is short. … Me locking myself away in my house for a lot of years — I’ll never get that time back. I’m more trusting now than I was six years ago.”
