Taylor Swift Opens Up About Harsh Criticism Over Reclaiming Her Music

“Bad Idea”: Taylor Swift Opens Up About Harsh Criticism Over Reclaiming Her Music originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Pop star Taylor Swift has revealed that some in the music industry doubted her decision to re-record her old albums, calling it a “bad idea” and predicting fans would lose interest.

Speaking during her first-ever appearance on the “New Heights” podcast with boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce and his brother, Jason Kelce, Swift shared the emotional journey that led her to reclaim ownership of her master recordings.

Taylor Swift’s Fight for Music Ownership

Swift first signed a record deal at 15, but like many artists, she did not own her master recordings.

“I never owned my music at all,” she said, explaining that the masters, containing control over distribution, licensing and creative legacy, were instead held by her label.

Her music was sold multiple times, and the first sale “ripped my heart out of my chest.” After failed attempts to buy them back, she took a bold step: re-recording her albums from scratch. It was a move that industry publications criticized harshly.

“Most of the industry trades were like this is a bad idea… fans are not going to be engaged with this,” Swift recalled.

Despite the skepticism, she pressed on, describing the project as a deeply personal mission.

“This isn’t just an asset to me. These are my handwritten diary entries from my whole life; songs I wrote about every phase of my life, my music videos, my artwork. Everything is in this catalog.”

After her record-breaking Eras Tour, Swift and her team decided to approach Shamrock Capital, the private equity firm that owned her masters. She made it clear she wanted full ownership, not partial control. Instead of sending lawyers, she sent her mother and brother to personally explain why the catalog meant so much to her.

Months later, while in Kansas City, Swift received a life-changing phone call from her mom: “You got your music.”

Overcome with emotion, she collapsed to the floor in tears before telling Travis Kelce, who stopped playing his video game to listen.

“This changed my life,” she said. “I haven’t gotten my hopes up about this in a decade.”

Taylor Swift Found Strong Support

While critics dismissed her plan as career-derailing, Swift found encouragement from fellow artists. Friends, including Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Maren Morris, Fall Out Boy, and Paramore’s Hayley Williams, agreed to collaborate on her re-recordings.

“I’m so grateful to the artists that helped me with my re-records,” she said. “They shaped who I am as an artist, and their support meant everything.”

What began as an intrusive thought: “I will never own my music,” has transformed into a daily reminder of victory.

Instead of feeling powerless, Swift now feels gratitude. “I can’t believe this happened. How lucky am I? How grateful am I?”

And while her romantic relationship with Travis Kelce might have stolen some headlines, on this day, the focus was all hers, on reclaiming her life’s work and proving that sometimes, the “bad idea” is the one worth fighting for.

Related: Taylor Swift Talks Falling for Travis Kelce: “He’s a Human Exclamation Point”

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 14, 2025, where it first appeared.