Pop superstar Taylor Swift has officially bought back her music catalogue, marking a landmark moment in her decades-long career. In a heartfelt message posted on her official website on Friday (May 30), Swift shared her joy with all her Swifties and revealed that she has purchased the master recordings of her first six studio albums — Taylor Swift (2006), Fearless (2008), Speak Now (2010), Red (2012), 1989 (2014), and Reputation (2017). The star made the purchase from private equity firm Shamrock Capital.While the purchase price remains undisclosed, Billboard reports suggest Swift paid close to the $360 million Shamrock initially spent to acquire the rights in 2021. Despite a narrow margin on the sale, the equity firm is said to have earned an estimated $100 million in profits from licensing, streaming, and sales revenues over the past three years.Taking to her Instagram handle, Taylor shared photos of herself with her albums and wrote, “You belong with me.”“Hi. I’m trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow. A flashback sequence of all the times I daydreamed about, wished for, and pined away for a chance to get to tell you this news,” Taylor wrote on her website.“All the times I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis close, reaching out for it, only for it to fall through. I almost stopped thinking it could ever happen, after 20 years of having the carrot dangled then yanked away. But that’s all in the past now,” the Grammy winner continued. “I’ve been bursting into tears of joy at random intervals ever since I found out that this is really happening. I really get to say these words: All of the music I’ve ever made… now belongs… to me.”She added, “And all of my music videos. All the concert films. The album art and photography. The unreleased songs. The memories. The magic. The madness. Every single era. My entire life’s work.”The move is the culmination of a deeply personal and public struggle for Swift, who began re-recording her early albums after music executive Scooter Braun acquired — and later sold — her masters without her consent. Braun’s Ithaca Holdings sold the catalogue to Shamrock in 2021, a deal reportedly worth $360 million.Swift began releasing new versions of her early work under the “Taylor’s Version” banner in 2021, starting with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version). To date, four of these re-recorded albums have been released, each debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and including additional “From the Vault” tracks, visual storytelling, and thematic Easter eggs — deepening fans’ connection to her music.“We are thrilled with this outcome and are so happy for Taylor,” Shamrock Capital said in a statement.Even Scooter Braun, who was at the centre of the controversy, commented on the news, telling media outlets, “I am happy for her.”Swift’s announcement comes amid a career-high period that includes her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, revealed at the 2024 Grammys and released during her record-breaking billion-dollar Eras Tour.With full control now returned to the artist, fans and industry watchers alike are calling this a landmark victory — not just for Swift, but for musicians everywhere seeking ownership of their art.
