Taylor Swift: Everything We Learn From Her About The True Essence Of A Healthy Friendship – And The Complexities Of Mixing Friendship With Business

Taylor Swift just hit a major milestone in her career: she bought back all her first 6 albums back from Shamrock Holdings for $360 million. Swift was initially signed with Big Machine in her career beginnings. Scott Borchetta signed Taylor Swift to Big Machine Records, which he founded, in 2005, launching her career. In 2019, Borchetta sold Big Machine to Scooter Braun for $300 million, which included the rights to Swift’s master recordings of her first six albums. Braun then sold the masters to Shamrock Holdings for $360 million, the amount Swift bought the masters for just recently from the company. Following Swift’s purchase, Braun’s simple reaction was, ‘I am happy for her,’ according to Page Six.

Over the past 6 years, many have argued that Braun stole Swift’s masters. I, however, beg to differ. Braun LEGALLY purchased Swift’s masters. To him it was nothing personal, but rather a business deal that seemed like a good idea to him, and he took advantage of it. Contrary to everyone’s belief, especially the Swiftie’s, as her fans call themselves, it was Borchetta that was to blame for the entire situation. Following Braun’s purchase of her life’s work since she was a teenager, Swift made a statement. It said, ‘For years I asked, pleaded for a chance to own my work. Instead I was given an opportunity to sign back up to Big Machine Records and ‘earn’ one album back at a time, one for every new one I turned in. I walked away because I knew once I signed that contract, Scott Borchetta would sell the label, thereby selling me and my future. I had to make the excruciating choice to leave behind my past.’

And not only that, but Swift also revealed that she learned of the purchase the same way as everyone else did – online. If that’s not a stab in the heart, I don’t know what is. Following Borchetta’s betrayal, Swift went on to sign with Republic Records and Universal Music Group (UMG). Kelly Clarkson, who won the first-ever season of American Idol back in 2002, encouraged Swift to re-record her previous masters owned by Braun. Clarkson tweeted at the time, ‘@taylorswift13 just a thought, U should go in & re-record all the songs that U don’t own the masters on exactly how U did them but put brand new art & some kind of incentive so fans will no longer buy the old versions. I’d buy all of the new versions just to prove a point.’ Swift took up on this advice and made plans to re-record her previous 6 albums that she initially made with Big Machine, and after each album release, she sends flowers to Clarkson as a way to thank her. Thus far, Swift released 4 out of 6 re-recordings, and fans are desperately waiting for the release of the two that are left, Reputation and her self-titled debut album. Following her $1 billion purchase of her masters, Swift revealed she still was making plans to re-release the 2 albums remaining. In 2023, during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live, Clarkson called Taylor Swift a genius for her the implementation of her re-recordings. She also said that it seemed as though Braun took offence to her being the idea for Swift the one time they ran into each other.

Whether or not Braun took offence never actually mattered. Him reacting to the news of Swift purchasing back her masters wasn’t even necessary. What did matter was that in her re-recording her masters, Swift took back control and ownership of her own career; something that Scott Borchetta tried to take away. By re-recording her old albums, Swift was able to take back the rights to her songs and create new versions, which have been met with commercial and critical success. She made the albums her own way; the way she envisioned them. To break it down more thoroughly:

• Regaining Ownership and Control: Swift’s original master recordings were sold to a private equity firm, meaning she lost control over her music and the ability to profit from it. Re-recording her albums allows her to reclaim ownership and control, giving her the ability to decide how her music is used and distributed. 
• Commercial Success and Impact on the Industry: The re-recordings, known as Taylor’s Version have been commercially successful, with fans actively supporting the new versions. This success has also impacted the music industry, raising questions about copyright and the rights of artists. 
• Devaluing Original Master Recordings: By creating new versions of her music, Swift has effectively devalued the original master recordings, which were purchased by a private equity firm without her consent. This has led to a significant drop in sales of the original albums. 
• Artist Autonomy and Empowerment: Swift’s re-recordings have been praised as a move towards greater artist autonomy and empowerment within the music industry. By reclaiming ownership, she sets an example for other artists who may feel that their labels are not respecting their creative control. 

But Swift’s re-recordings wasn’t just about paving the way for her. It changed absolutely everything about how music was made. Within reach, record labels have started including clauses in contracts that restrict re-recording for a set period after the artist leaves the label. Some contracts now include provisions that require artists to negotiate with the label before re-recording, even if they own the masters. Now, the importance of artists understanding their contracts and negotiating for better terms, including ownership of their work has been raised in higher probabilities. Some record labels have included language prohibiting new signees from re-recording their music for as long as 30 years in their contracts since Swift’s re-recordings. This move came after Swift inspired other artists, such as Ashanti and Paris Hilton, to re-record their own music. In her contract with Big Machine, Swift owned the composition copyright, and she was legally prohibited to rerelease any re-recordings for 3 years after being released. Her first Taylor’s Version album was released in 2021.

In the months and years that followed, Swift seemed to be unstoppable. She continued to evolve as an artist and an influential figure. On top of rereleasing her re-recordings, she continued to release new material as well. In a single year, she released not one, but TWO albums. In her second quarantine album, Evermore, Swift released the song titled it’s time to go. The lyrics read as follows: ‘When the words of a sister, come back in whispers, that prove she was not, in fact, what she seemed, not a twin from your dreams, she’s a crook who was caught.’ And in another song titled right where you left me, the lyrics were: ‘Friends break up, friends get married.’ Swifties everywhere began speculating that the two songs were about Karlie Kloss, Swift’s one-time best friend. At one point, they were even rumoured to be in a lesbian relationship. The first hint of a fallout came in 2017. In one scene in the Look What You Made Me Do music video, Swift left Kloss’ name off a t-shirt despite including everyone else she’s famously close with, such as Selena Gomez, Martha Hunt, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Gigi Hadid, Lena Dunham and Ed Sheeran. Even Jennifer Lawrence chimed in her curiosity on where Swift’s friendship with Kloss stood. While speaking to the New York Times, Lawrence said, ‘I’d like to know what’s going on with Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift, that’s the honest to God truth. Is nobody else curious? It’s keeping me up at night. What happened?’ Kloss herself later told the publication to not believe everything they read, and later jokingly responded to Lawrence in a 73 Questions segment with Vogue, ‘Jen, don’t worry — Taylor and I are still really good friends.’ In August 2018, the model posted a selfie with herself and Swift when she supported the singer at her Reputation tour. Though Swift was travelling when Kloss married Josh Kushner in October 2018, she also didn’t attend the couple’s bigger wedding affair the following year.

So how is this relevant? Kloss was managed by none other than Scooter Braun. She’s since cut professional ties with him. Some theories of might’ve happened suggested that Kloss might’ve indirectly informed Braun about Swift’s masters being up for sale, though there’s no evidence of that ever happening. Nevertheless, Swift made it clear that the idea of Braun owning her music was her worst nightmare as she claimed that that he incessantly bullied and manipulated her for years. In 2019, Swift revealed that Braun and Borchetta were effectively holding her music hostage, preventing her from performing a medley of hits at the AMAs that year, as well as blocking her from using her old music and performances from being used in an upcoming Netflix documentary. She also claimed that Borchetta only would only grant her permission to use her own music in the performance and documentary if she agreed to both abandon her plan to re-record her masters and stop speaking publicly about him and Braun. Thereafter, Swift made an impassioned plea for other celebrities — particularly those represented by Braun, as well as The Carlyle Group — to speak out on her behalf and attempt to change the mens’ minds. Swift’s friends like Gigi Hadid and Selena Gomez spoke out. Kloss, however, stayed silent. Instead, on the day that Swift made the plea, Kloss posted a photo on Instagram that had absolutely nothing to do with Swift.

To say that Swift’s fans were enraged would be an understatement. They flooded the photo with comments about how she missed an opportunity to support her friend in need. But Kloss seemed to only have a professional relationship with Braun, but a personal one too. Braun even said once that he loved Kloss like family. Kushner, also had ties with Carlyle Group, the very same investment company that not only played a role in funding Braun’s purchase of Swift’s former record label, as the the company invested $525 million in 666 Fifth Avenue — a building owned by Kushner Companies. At the time, Perez Hilton, famed celebrity gossiper, made a statement that Swift ended her friendship with Kloss because Kloss had leaked personal information about her to Braun, which would make his purchase easier. Ashley Avignone and Claire Winter, two of Swift’s friends, appeared to have validated the claims by liking Perez’s tweet. Two months later, Kloss and Kushner were seen happily spending quality time with Braun. In the end, Swift was able to perform her old songs at the AMAs and used the songs in her Netflix special. In 2023, Kloss was seen attending Swift’s Eras tour, but wasn’t seated in the VIP area like Swift’s friends did, and fans certainly took notice.

It really comes as no surprise, at least to me, that Swift chose to end her friendship with Kloss. This wasn’t the first time that Swift felt betrayed by friend for work-related matters. She also felt betrayed by Katy Perry when she invited Swift’s dancers to join her on tour. Swift’s 2014 hit Bad Blood chronicled that betrayal. Perry later tweeted, ‘”Watch out for the Regina George in sheep’s clothing…’ She later confirmed that the tweet was aimed at Swift. One of those dancers. Lockhart Brownlie, told The Examiner in 2014 of what had actually happened. Brownlie said, ‘Obviously we were with Katy for two and a half years, she’s like family to us. So we were, like, Absolutely. We weren’t really dancing in Taylor’s tour anyway, so I had got a little bored and I really wanted to do a promo tour.’

I watched the Red tour, and honestly…I kind of agree with the dancers. There wasn’t much dancing happening on that tour, and they were looking for a challenge that Swift just wasn’t providing for them. Them going ahead with Perry’s proposal was nothing personal. It was strictly business. And yet, the feud between the two became somewhat of a cultural phenomenon. No one could stop talking about it; except for Swift herself, who, in 2015, told The Telegraph, ‘I’m not giving [the press] anything to write about. I’m never going to talk about her in my interview. It’s not going to happen. It’s not real if someone appears to never have any issues with anyone. I have my friends. I have enemies.’ In 2017, Perry collaborated with Nicki Minaj, who unintentionally had a social media beef of her own with Swift over a discussion on the MTV Video Music Awards nominations that year. Minaj tweeted that she believed her Anaconda video wasn’t nominated for Video of the Year because she isn’t white or very slim. Swift clapped back by writing, ‘I’ve done nothing but love & support you. It’s unlike you to pit women against each other. Maybe one of the men took your slot.’ Perry then commented on the matter by tweeting, ‘Finding it ironic to parade the pit women against other women argument about as one unmeasurably capitalizes on the take down of a woman…’ Very true. But anyways…

Perry and Minsk’s collaboration for Swish Swish into well, especially compared to Perry’s previous hits. While Perry has stated the song is about liberation and overcoming bullies, many listeners, including Swift’s friends, interpreted it as a diss track targeting Swift. Unlike Swift’s Bad Blood, Perry’s single was viewed as a cheap shot. It only charted at #46 on Billboard Hot 100 when it came out. Today, it’s still relatively unknown. Ultimately, the song didn’t resonate with audiences in the same way as as they resonated with Swift’s song, potentially due to a combination of critical criticism, a perceived lack of originality, and an unsuccessful attempt to deliver a strong, memorable diss track. 

Despite the gods track, Perry was open about wanting to reunite with Swift and be friends again throughout the years. This finally happened on the very same day that the Reputation tour commenced in 2018 when Perry extended a literal olive branch to the singer. Swift posted on her Instagram story at the time, ‘I just got back to my dressing room and found this actual olive branch. This…means so much to me.’ Perry also included a handwritten note that read, ‘Hey old friend,’ which was in an envelope sealed with a sticker of Perry’s dog. The following year, the two publicly reunited when Perry made a cameo in Swift’s You Need To Calm Down music video alongside Swift’s other famous friends, including Ryan Reynolds. In the years since they’d done nothing but support one another – both personally and professionally. In February 2024, Perry was seen attending Swift’s Eras Tour and posted a selfie with Swift too. She also posted a video of herself dancing to Bad Blood, where Perry flipped her camera around to show herself making a mock surprise face and singing along — seemingly making a not-so-subtle nod to their since put-to-bed feud.

This was absolutely great news for the both of them, as well as for their fans. It was especially great news because both artists have since said that it was all just a misunderstanding. But could the same be said about Karlie Kloss? No. She did something that I personally think is unforgivable to a woman who she claimed to be her best friend. I think Lauren Conrad said it best to Heidi Montag on an episode of The Hills: I want to forgive you, and I want to forget you. That’s how I’d describe Taylor Swift’s relationship with Kloss. In her 30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30 for Elle magazine in 2019, Swift wrote, ‘I learned not to let outside opinions establish the value I place on my own life choices… For an approval seeker like me, it was an important lesson for me to learn to have my OWN value system of what I actually want.’ And this is what it all comes down to – values. Kloss might’ve not been directly involved in the fight between Swift and Braun for Swift’s life’s work, but she certainly made it clear whose side she was on. That says a lot. It says that she doesn’t find anything wrong with what he’d done – from bullying Swift to owning her art to keeping her ‘hostage’ from performing her songs and trying to manipulate her into doing what he wanted. And in the same essay, Swift wrote, ‘Even if it was unintentional, it’s so easy to just apologize and move on. Try not to say ‘I’m sorry, but…’ and make excuses for yourself. Learn how to make a sincere apology…’ We don’t actually know if an apology ever took place, but we do know is that they aren’t friends and that Kloss was seated with the rest of Swift’s friends rather than the VIP are. That’s very telling in itself.

Over the years, we’ve witnessed Swift’s high-profile friendships with everyone from Sophie Turner to Selena Gomez to Blake Lively to Sophie Turner to Brittany Mahomes to Cara Delevingne to the Haim sisters have sparked backlash and criticism over the years. They’ve been referred to as Swift’s girl-squad. These days, Swift can’t even go out to dinner with her friends without somehow being criticized. There was a time when she was more public about her friend group. She had a phase where she brought her famous female friends on stage with her, even casting some of them in her music videos. Most notably, nine of the those female friends, including Hadid, Gomez, and Hailee Steinfeld, attended the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards as her dates.

For Swift, this was a power move. In her essay for Elle, she wrote, ‘Even as an adult, I still have recurring flashbacks of sitting at lunch tables alone or hiding in a bathroom stall, or trying to make a new friend and being laughed at. In my twenties I found myself surrounded by girls who wanted to be my friend. So I shouted it from the rooftops, posted pictures, and celebrated my newfound acceptance into a sisterhood, without realising that other people might still feel the way I did when I felt so alone. It’s important to address our long-standing issues before we turn into the living embodiment of them.’

I related to this testament so much. In my childhood and adolescence, I’d been taunted with bullies and aggressors at my throat. This was happening in two different schools; in two different countries. I was emotionally, mentally, and physically assaulted. There was an incident where a boy pushed me down the stairs; another boy punched me in the stomach; another boy threw rocks at me all throughout my way home from school; and two boys physically attacked me right in front of my house. There were days where I’d stay in the girls’ washroom during breaks because I didn’t want to be seen. Then college came to be, and suddenly, I found my core group of girlfriends. Each time I saw them, I wanted to take pictures endlessly and post them on social media. I felt I had something to prove; if not to myself than to all the bullies from my past. I was so desperate to do so that I even added one of them on Facebook at one point.

Over time, friendships came and went. There were misunderstandings. There were fights. There were boyfriends who came in the way. You name it. No matter the case, one thing always remained true – all my female friendships changed my life in some shape or form. They weren’t lifelong friends. Some were there for a season; others for a reason. And some weren’t even friends, but rather situationships. Losing my female friendships was so heartbreaking to me, but it made me realize that most people in your life aren’t meant to be there forever. Each female friend that I’ve lost over the years was a loss that I grieved. Just as Swift sang in Stay, Stay, Stay, ‘You took the time to memorize me, my fears, my hopes and dreams. I just like hanging out with you all the time.’

No matter how judged Taylor Swift has been in the past, and even now, one thing remains true, and it’s that she’s one heck of a loyal friend. Her most longstanding friendships are with Abigail Anderson, who she befriended when they were in 9th grade, and Selena Gomez, with whom she became friends in 2008 when they dated two of the Jonas Brothers. She also had a long-standing friendship with Blake Lively that lasted a decade and she’s even godmother to Lively’s kids, though the status of their friendship remains uncertain after the It Ends With Us fiasco. More on that later. Camila Cabello is another long-lasting friend. These particular friends had been by Swift’s side, as was she in return, for years, and they’ve supported her her personal milestones, as well as career milestones, in public time and time again. Most recently, Swift and Gomez were seen grabbing dinner after Swift’s purchase of her masters were made public.

So this leads me to come back to the original moral of the tale as old as time, which is trust that has been broken. We’ve already established the fact that Karli Kloss broke the trust that Swift once had in her. And then, there was the case of Blake Lively. Swift and Lively were once an inseparable duo. They’ve supported each other’s attributions over the years. As mentioned previously, Swift is godmother to Lively’s children with Ryan Reynolds. Lively directed Swift’s music video for I Bet You Think About Me. Tensions arose between them when Swift’s was mentioned in the legal battle between Lively and Justin Baldoni. The two have been embroiled in a heated legal feud since December 2024, when Lively first filed a complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department, accusing him of sexual harassment on the set of the film, which he also directed. Swift was subpoenaed by Baldoni’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman. It was reported that Swift had influenced Lively’s script rewrites. Baldoni also claimed that Lively referred to the 14-time Grammy winner and Reynolds as her dragons who protect her in battle after a meeting about script revisions. He included text messages of this statement in his countersuit against Lively. According to sources with direct knowledge, the subpoena is no longer needed because the necessary information has been obtained.

Things haven’t been the same between Swift and Lively following Swift’s name being brought up in the lawsuit. I think it’s understandable that it turned out this way. While Swift gave Livy permission to use her song, My Tears Ricochet, in the movie’s trailer, she didn’t asked to be in a legal battle that wasn’t hers to fight, and she certainly didn’t ask for her name to be used by her friend as a power tactic to manipulate another person. By loosely cutting ties with Lively, she’s prioritizing her mental health, especially when she’s finally in such a good place in her life and career after facing so much scrutiny and turmoil. She’s setting boundaries, and she’s letting it be known that she won’t tolerate mistreatment. She’s distancing herself and protecting her peace. I’m not in the situation, of course. I’m just a little blogger who’s making assumptions in my own head. In a general sense, when a friend has broken your trust like Karli Kloss and Blake Lively did with Swift, it can be incredibly hurtful and challenging. It often leads to feelings of confusion, betrayal, and a breakdown of trust. Addressing this situation requires careful consideration and communication, focusing on understanding the friend’s perspective while also protecting your own feelings and boundaries. To break things down more thoroughly, here’s a list of things you should consider if you’re in a similar situation:

1. Acknowledge Your Feelings: 

• Validate your emotions: It’s normal to feel hurt, angry, and betrayed. Allow yourself to process these feelings and avoid suppressing them. 
• Recognize the impact: A friend siding with someone who betrayed you can erode trust and make it difficult to move forward. 

2. Understanding the Friend’s Perspective: 

• Consider their loyalty: They may be prioritizing their own relationship with the person who betrayed you, or they might not fully understand the extent of the betrayal. 
• Open communication: Try to have an open and honest conversation with your friend, expressing how their actions have affected you. Explain why their stance feels like a betrayal. 
• Active listening: Be open to hearing their side of the story and trying to understand their reasoning, even if you don’t agree. 

3. Addressing the Situation: 

• Set boundaries: If you’re uncomfortable with their stance, clearly communicate your boundaries and what you need from them. 
• Rebuild trust: Focus on repairing the relationship if you desire to continue it, but emphasize the importance of loyalty and understanding. 
• Consider the friendship’s future: If the friendship isn’t salvageable, it’s okay to acknowledge the situation and move on, focusing on self-care and rebuilding your own support system. 
• Forgiveness (if possible): Forgiveness, not for their sake but for your own, can be a powerful tool for healing and moving forward. 

4. Seeking Support: 

• Talk to trusted loved ones: Sharing your feelings with supportive friends or family members can provide emotional support and validation. 
• Consider professional help: If the situation is causing significant distress or impacting your ability to move forward, consider seeking guidance from a therapist or counselor. 

Friendships are hard; adult friendships especially. They can be challenged by factors such as busy schedules, evolving life stages, and individual differences in communication styles and needs. It requires effort, understanding, and compromise to nurture and maintain them, particularly as people move into adulthood and experience changes in their lives. And then, they can be challenged by legalities, ethics, as well as career paths and advancement – the same or similar ways that Taylor Swift’s friendships with Karlie Kloss and Blake Lively were challenged.

No matter what the case might be, it’s crucial to remember that if someone you consider a friend holds you back in your career and life as a whole, as well as your peace, then they weren’t your friend to begin with. A friend is someone who cheers you on; who motivates you; who sticks by you through and through; who supports you no matter what. No friendship is ever worth losing your peace over. I myself learned it the hard way; but I’m so glad that I’d gone through all that I’d gone through in my friendships – the good, the bad and the ugly. I needed it. I needed to learn that lesson for myself. What it taught me is that I’m worth so much more than what I’d been told time and time again. People will always try to bring me down, but it’s up to me to put myself up and back together. So many people I thought were my friends told me I wasn’t good; laughed at my expense when I told them something good was happening to me; or when I told them of my life’s hurdles. I used to think it was okay, but it wasn’t. It so f*cking wasn’t. But just like Lauren Conrad once said: I want to forgive you, and I want to forget you.