Pop superstar Taylor Swift opened up about one of the most significant milestones of her career—buying back her masters—during a heartfelt appearance on Travis Kelce’s podcast, New Heights, alongside his brother Jason Kelce, on Wednesday, August 13.
The 35-year-old singer-songwriter, known for hits like Lover and So Highschool, shared the emotional journey that led her to finally own her music. Swift revealed she had been “saving up money” since her teenage years with the goal of being the sole owner of her master recordings. “It’s usually the label that owns it, but I’ve always wanted this to happen,” she explained.
Reflecting on the sale of her music to Scooter Braun in 2018, Swift admitted it “ripped her heart out of her chest,” motivating her decision to re-record her albums. “Rerecording my music, it was so exciting to get to have that opportunity, but I thought about owning my music every day. It was an intrusive thought I had every day,” she said.
Taylor also shared that she personally reached out to Shamrock Capital, the then-owners of her catalog, after completing her Eras Tour. “I’m in the business of human emotion. I’d so much rather lead heart first in something like this,” she said, emphasizing that her lyrics are “handwritten diary entries through my whole life… everything that I’ve ever done is in this catalogue.”
The moment she realized she officially owned her masters brought Swift to tears. She described “hitting the floor” and “weeping” with joy. Sharing the intimate moment with Travis Kelce, she added, “I’m trying to say it in a normal way and he’s playing video games. He puts his headset down and I think he thought something was wrong, and I just absolutely started heaving crying. Dropped, had no power in my legs to support myself. This changed my life. I can’t believe it still.”
Owning her masters marks a pivotal moment in Taylor Swift’s career, giving her complete control over the music that has defined her rise to superstardom.
