Pop star Taylor Swift will be allowed to use her old songs during a performance at the 2019 American Music Awards, her former label, Big Machine Label Group, said in a joint statement with Dick Clark Productions. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI |
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Nov. 18 (UPI) -- Taylor Swift's former record label Big Machine Label Group released a statement confirming the pop singer can perform her old songs at the 2019 American Music Awards, seemingly bringing a close to a days-long controversy.
Big Machine Label Group, which owns the singer's catalog of recordings through 2017 album Reputation, released a joint statement with Dick Clark Productions saying the 29-year-old would be able to go ahead with plans to perform a medley of her old songs during the AMAs, where she is scheduled be receive the Artist of the Decade award.
"The Big Machine Label Group and Dick Clark Productions announce that they have come to terms on a licensing agreement that approves their artists' performances to stream post show and for re-broadcast on mutually approved platforms," the statement reads. "This includes the upcoming American Music Awards performances for Thomas Rhett and former Big Machine Records recording artist Taylor Swift.
"It should be noted that recording artists do not need label approval for live performances on television or any other live media," it states. "Record label approval is only needed for contracted artists' audio and visual recordings and in determining how those works are distributed."
The public battle over Swift's planned performance began Thursday, when the singer tweeted that Big Machine Label Group's Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun were attempting to block her from performing her old music at the AMAs and on an upcoming Netflix documentary.
"They claim that would be re-recording my music before I'm allowed to next year," Swift tweeted.
Big Machine initially responded to Swift's post Friday, saying the label had been attempting to meet with Swift to work out terms for the AMAs and the documentary. The statement alleged Swift admitted to owning the label millions of dollars, a claim refuted by a representative for Swift.
The representative said Big Machine actually owes Swift $7.9 million in unpaid royalties.
The back-and-forth between Swift and the label attracted the attention of celebrities and politicians including Democratic presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandia Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Warren tweeted Swift is "one of many whose work has been threatened by a private equity firm," while Ocasio-Cortez wrote that such groups' "predatory practices actively hurt millions of Americans."
The American Music Awards are scheduled for Nov. 24.
