Taylor Swift Fans Celebrate as Singer Is Now Free to Re-Record Original Music

Taylor Swift is now able to re-record her first five albums following Scooter Braun's acquisition of her former label, Big Machine

Taylor Swift is officially free to re-record her old music.

Beginning Nov. 1, Swift can now legally re-record new versions of her first five albums, which Scooter Braun gained ownership of last year following his $300 million deal with Big Machine Label Group. After news of the acquisition broke in June 2019, Swift received support when she publicly called out Braun and Big Machine co-owner Scott Borchetta.

However, Swift said last year that her contract allowed her to re-record her music in November 2020 — and her fans celebrated accordingly on Sunday on social media and even got #TaylorIsFree to begin trending on Twitter.

"#TaylorIsFree NO ONE WILL TAKE CREDIT FOR HER OWN WORK .... she’s FREE," one excited fan wrote of Nov. 1.

Said another, "The best people in life are free. #TaylorIsFree."

Swift confirmed in August 2019 that she planned on re-recording her first five albums — Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, and 1989 — once legally allowed to do so.

"It's something that I'm very excited about doing, because my contract says that starting November 2020, I can record albums one through five all over again. I'm very excited about it," she told Good Morning America's Robin Roberts.

"I think that artists deserve to own their work," she added. "I just feel very passionately about that."

Taylor Swift performing on stage during day two of Capital's Jingle Bell Ball 2019 with Seat at the O2 Arena, London
Taylor Swift. Scott Garfitt/EMPICS Entertainment/PA Images/Sipa

Following Braun's acquisition of Swift's music catalog last year, the singer accused the manager of “manipulative bullying” over the years in a scathing Tumblr post, and the weeks following became a game of he-said, she-said between Swift, Braun, and Borchetta, who first signed the superstar when she was a teen.

Hours after Swift said she was “grossed out” by Braun’s deal, Borchetta responded with his own lengthy statement on the label’s website, essentially accusing Swift of bending the truth.

Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift. Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

In his letter, Borchetta, 58, claimed the deal he offered Swift gave her “100 percent of all Taylor Swift assets … to be transferred to her immediately upon signing the new agreement.”

However, Swift’s lawyer Donald Passman told PEOPLE in a statement: “Scott Borchetta never gave Taylor Swift an opportunity to purchase her masters, or the label, outright with a check in the way he is now apparently doing for others.”

Scott Borchetta, Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun
Scott Borchetta, Taylor Swift, Scooter Braun. Rick Diamond/Getty Images; Larry Busacca/Getty Images; Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

A source previously told Variety that Swift had to sign a deal that would bind her to Big Machine or its new owner for another 10 years in order to buy her masters or the label.

Big Machine Label declined to comment at the time.

Under her new label Republic Records, which she signed with in November 2018, Swift has released two new albums: Lover and Folklore.

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