Taylor Swift's TV Drama: Pop Star Claims Former Label Won't Let Her Perform Hits

Updated Friday at 3:30 p.m. ET

Back in August, it seemed as if the pop megastar Taylor Swift had found an end run around an acrimonious battle for control of her recorded catalog. She announced that beginning in November 2020, she would re-record the six albums made under contract for Big Machine Label Group, which owns those master recordings.

But Swift now says that things won't be that simple. On Thursday night, Swift made public the newest chapter in her battle for artistic, financial and intellectual control of her material. She claimed that Big Machine, which was founded by Scott Borchetta and is now owned by music impresario Scooter Braun, has blocked her from performing a medley of her hits later this month at the made-for-television American Music Awards, and that the company will not give permission for her Big Machine-era hits to be included in a scheduled Netflix biographical documentary. She claims that Borchetta said that she can only use her old songs if she doesn't proceed with her plans to make copycat versions.