Hey everyone!
I’ve spent these last five months of quarantine in California. The unusual circumstances of the pandemic have led me to appreciate its beauty more than ever. From the ocean to the mountains, it’s the absolute dream place to live and explore. Perhaps my favorite spot of all is Lacy Park. I’m mesmerized by the palm trees every time, here they are in all their glory with a perfect sunset backdrop.
Last weekend, Will and I spent time in Lake Arrowhead, a small town in the San Bernandino mountains. There’s something about being in the mountains for a few days that makes you reflective. The stars and the skies are vast and grand, reminding me of the endless possibilities of this world. Every day is filled with such amazing promise, and I intend on making the most of it. Starting with this newsletter.
I’m highlighting the albums, songs, lyrics, and playlists I'm loving lately. Spotify links included for you to enjoy wherever you are.
Albums | Listen to these in their entirety from front to back, the only way to do it.
Taylor’s clever storytelling through her songwriting is what made me a fan of hers from day one, and this album pulls out all the stops. While we’re used to hearing Taylor’s music express her own life in love and experiences, this album is a fantastical twist. From telling the story of a divorcée socialite who lived in her Rhode Island home years ago, to a classic love triangle story told from each party’s perspective through song (cardigan, august, betty) to a simply beautiful ballad tying imagery from WWII to our current pandemic. While certainly a change of pace for fans, every bit of this album is stunning and worth a listen.
Taylor Swift’s eighth studio album is the seventh to debut at number one. Taylor made history by being the first artist ever to debut at #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200 in the same week. For context, the Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on consumption of album units while the Billboard Hot 100 determines the top songs by radio airplay, sales data, and streaming data.
We love a good surprise album drop, especially with less than 24 hours notice. Not to be all Kanye, but Beyoncé revolutionized the greatest surprise album drop of all time in 2014. More artists would do well to follow suit.
Tame Impala was the last show I went to in Los Angeles two days before all hell broke loose with this pandemic, and I’m so thankful I did. This album flows together so seamlessly, carving the path for artists to follow. Josh Terry says it best, claiming Tame Impala was the artist of the decade from 2010-2020.
“Tame Impala has a sense of effortlessness that has imbued each album with an undeniable, critic-proof strength. More importantly, the progression between these albums has anticipated trends instead of chasing them.”
For those of you who first heard of Billie Eilish because of “bad guy,” this one is for you. Billie showcased this EP during her midnight acoustic set at SXSW in 2018. Before this performance, I’d never heard her music or the vessel that makes her music stand out so starkly from the rest — her voice.
While her debut album was incredibly successful and widely acclaimed, winning her five GRAMMYs, I believe this EP is the best representation of her voice and artistry to date. Her latest single, my future, gives me hope her music is moving more toward this EP vibe, and I cannot wait.
RN | Three Songs I’m Loving...right now.
There’s nothing quite like this smooth tune with jazz undertones while cruising down the Pacific Coast Highway, the 405, the 10, or the 101. And yes, my Texas people. Californians call their highways “the” highways. Can you imagine if I-35 was called “the 35?”
I highlighted this one on my first newsletter when it was featured on New Music Friday. The piano chord melody cadence leading into the beat drop on this one is epic, and the chorus is contagiously good you can’t help but sing along.
Honestly I know this song because of Suits, the only show I’ve binged during quarantine because who doesn’t love Harvey Specter? Dean Lewis has one of those voices you can instantly recognize as soon as you hear it. You might recognize it from a single called “Be Alright” that was constantly on mainstream radio a few months back. Wait, who still listens to the radio?
Lyrics on Loop | Find the lyrics that speak to your soul and never let go.
I can't imagine how my life would be if all your gravity did not hit me
Time, curious time gave me no compasses, gave me no signs
The Saga of the Taylor Swift Masters
On August 25, 2018, I was in the sea of 56,112 fans attending Taylor Swift’s reputation tour stop at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. From the intro bass beats of “…Ready for It,” to the Fearless medley of my dreams, to crying when Tim McGraw and Faith Hill joined Taylor on stage to sing “Tim McGraw,” this show pulled out all the stops; I remember feeling a post-concert high like never before.
Taylor Swift has been a household name since “Our Song” was everywhere in 2006. We’ve been with her from the days of country love songs to global pop super-stardom. For 13 years — ironically, her favorite and lucky number — Taylor Swift was signed to Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine Records. Swift was one of the first artists signed to the label and her worldwide success undoubtedly and indefinitely shaped its future, attracting country music’s biggest artists: Rascal Flatts, Reba, Florida Georgia Line, and Thomas Rhett.
Before Taylor Swift became the pop icon she is today, she was a teenage songwriter from Philadelphia with a dream of signing a publishing deal in Nashville. Scott Borchetta discovered her at the famous Bluebird Cafe, and she soon became one of the first artists signed onto his new label, Big Machine. What started as a career opening for Keith Urban on tour soon became one where she sold out consecutive nights at stadiums around the world. From Taylor Swift, to Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989, and reputation, Taylor’s discography became the core of Big Machine’s assets.
November 2018 was a turning point when Taylor decided to sign with Universal Music Group’s Republic Records, largely due to negotiations that allowed her to own her future master recordings — an important detail to remember for later. Her partnership with Big Machine seemed to end amicably as she expressed how thankful she was that Borchetta believed in her and guided her through her career.
Nine months after Taylor’s departure from Big Machine, Scott Borchetta sold the label to Ithaca Holdings for over $300 million. A reality Taylor describes in her Tumblr post reaction as "her worst nightmare." Why?
The core of Big Machine’s assets were now under Scooter Braun’s control.
What does it mean for an artist to own their masters?
“By owning your master recordings, you keep creative control and you're free to release your music however you want via whichever channels you choose,” says Paul Hitchman, President of AWAL.
Owning your masters means you own the right to your music. Who uses it, what it’s used for; you have the right to determine distribution.
So…what does this mean for Taylor?
She needs Scooter Braun and Scott Borchetta’s approval before performing or licensing songs from albums one through six until November 2020 when she is legally permitted to re-record those albums (which she fully plans on doing). For context, Scooter Braun was Kanye West’s manager for quite some time, and everyone knows Kanye and Taylor have their bad blood.
Think about this from Taylor’s perspective. She’s dedicated her life — thoughts in journal entries and most intimate parts of her identity to creating music that brings her life. After a wildly successful six albums at Big Machine, she finally had the capital to buy her masters and own them forever.
Now think about this from a business perspective. You might be wondering, why didn’t Taylor negotiate owning her masters as part of her contract when she initially signed with Scott Borchetta? Artists early in their careers don’t have the clout to make owning their masters happen. This is textbook music industry. Even if Taylor proposed it in 2006, it would be an incredibly risky move for a small label like Big Machine and their future. While Borchetta knew Taylor was a talented songwriter, he had no way of knowing what her career trajectory as an artist would look like. I’ll let DJ Mustard run that logic back via tweet:
What happened with Taylor and Big Machine’s negotiations? While owning her masters was at the forefront of the conversation, there was one other condition that was stopping her.
A Positive Change for Creators
Taylor has always been an advocate for artists getting fair compensation for their work — including Apple Music’s launch in 2015. Taylor announced in a public letter to Apple how she was holding 1989 back from the new streaming service since Apple had no plans to pay royalties to writers, producers, or artists during their free three month trial period. This letter led to an almost instant reversal, resulting in a win-win for Taylor and Apple Music.
Three years later, the one condition that took precedence over her masters was again for fair compensation of artists. As part of her contract with Republic Records and Universal Music Group, Taylor negotiated that any sale of the label’s Spotify shares would result in a distribution of money to their artists, non-recoupable. Taylor proving time and time again that she will fight unfair creator compensation. The music industry still has a long way to go, with the Local Radio Freedom Act (for not paying performers when their song is on the radio) now having a majority vote in the United States House of Representatives.
Legen…wait for it…dary.
What made Taylor’s 2018 show different from any other was knowing I’d just seen a legendary artist who would be remembered for ages. The generation scale of fans on my row alone proved how Taylor’s struck the balance of creativity and longevity within her career while remaining true to who she is as an artist. There were those day ones like me who knew Tim McGraw and Faith Hill when they joined her on stage to sing “Tim McGraw,” and there were younger fans who only knew 1989 and reputation.
The essence of owning your masters is not only owning the creative work, but owning the future revenue streams associated with that work. With every album, (her latest folklore is no exception) Taylor creates honest, soul-baring lyrics that deeply resonate with her fans, and her worldwide success is a testament. Just as she fights for creators, I hope she wins the fight in gaining ownership of her masters.
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Donya