Last week, Taylor Swift said that the people who purchased her former music label were preventing her from performing her old songs on television. And fans weren’t happy about it.
The “Lover” singer’s former record label was acquired last year by music manager Scooter Braun and his company, Ithaca Holdings. Swift said that this was the “worst-case scenario” and claimed that Braun had previously bullied her. Braun and his company now own nearly all of Taylor Swift’s master recordings -- meaning he can dictate when and how the songs can be used.
Swift claimed that they were not allowing her to perform her old songs on television, which would have prevented her from performing them at the AMAs.
A poll of more than 4,000 Americans through YouGov’s Daily Agenda poll found that most Americans wanted Swift to be able to perform her older songs.
When asked about the issue on November 15, nearly two-thirds (65%) of Americans said they thought Swift should be allowed to perform these songs. Another 11 percent said she should not be allowed to perform her previous songs.
Democrats (73%) were more likely than independents (67%) and Republicans (56%) to say Swift should be allowed to perform her own songs.
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On November 18, the company released a statement saying they “agreed to grant all licenses of their artists’ performances to stream post-show and for rebroadcast on mutually approved platforms,” effectively allowing Swift to perform anything from her discography at the AMAs.
It’s likely that Swift’s fans appreciated her speaking out about the issue publicly.
Further research from YouGov indicates that those who have a positive opinion of Taylor Swift are especially likely to agree with the statement, “It’s important for a music artist to have a vision or belief.” About six in 10 (62%) Taylor Swift fans agree, while 51 percent of the population overall agrees.
Those with a positive rating of Swift also likely were paying attention to her tweet where she claimed Braun was preventing her from performing her songs. Three in 10 Swift fans agree that “A music artist’s social channels are the most important place for me to check in on.” Fewer (21%) Americans overall say the same.
Do you think Taylor Swift should be allowed to perform her old music at the AMAs? Make your opinion count and see yourself in stories like this one by signing up for our YouGov panel and the Daily Agenda newsletter.
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