Music industry titan Scooter Braun’s reputation is taking a big hit with back-to-back headlines of his A-list pop stars leaving his management.
It’s not just because they’re big names in the industry that their decision to get off the scooter was a big deal. It’s also because some of them have been with Braun for years. Maybe add those too to the fact that it’s happening while Taylor Swift’s rerecording project and Eras Tour are dominating the whole music sphere.
The Mass Exodus: Who’s Out?
Karma? Carly Rae Jepsen se junta a Ariana Grande e Demi Lovato e rompe contrato com Scooter Braun. pic.twitter.com/uUv1khpSLa
— UpdateCharts (@updatecharts) August 22, 2023
Reggaeton singer J Balvin was the first to leave Braun’s roster in 2023, trading SB Projects for Jay Z’s Roc Nation. “Skyscraper” singer Demi Lovato, who signed with Braun in 2019, also parted ways with him. While her representatives have not released an official comment or statement, Billboard, Variety, and Insider have all corroborated the news. She’s still in talks for a new management.
A few days after news of Lovato’s departure broke out, representatives for Carly Rae Jepsen, BabyJake, and Asher Roth spoke with AP, saying that all three artists were no longer working with the music executive, which has been the case for quite a while already.
Broadway artist Idina Menzel is also out. A source close to her camp confirmed the news but was not authorized to speak publicly.
This instance wasn’t the first time that Braun lost talents. One example is the infamous Kanye West (now legally called Ye), who fired him, saying he can’t be managed. The two worked together for two and a half years.
Empire Crumbling: Who’s on the fence?
Then there’s Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande – two of Braun’s oldest and biggest clients. He signed Bieber in 2008 and Grande in 2013.
Puck News’ Matthew Belloni broke the news that Bieber was poking around for a new agency. People published the same report a few days later, saying that a source claimed that the singer had been working on his new record for the last six months. Neither SB Projects nor Scooter Braun himself set up any sessions with the artist. “The relationship with Scooter has run its course.”
However, it clarified that the singer is still “technically managed” by Braun and has four years left in his contract.
Then came the headlines of Grande dropping Braun as manager. It happened before in 2016, but they rejoined shortly after. Billboard published the story first, and then People corroborated it through an anonymous source who said that Grande had outgrown Braun and was excitedly headed in a different direction. Negotiations regarding contracts were also reportedly underway.
None of these have been officially confirmed. If anything, Page Six reported that their representatives both denied the rumors.
Why are they leaving?
RELATED: Meet Scooter Braun: The Entrepreneur Who Acquired Taylor Swift’s Master Recordings
It’s no secret that Scooter Braun’s reputation was significantly hit with his decision to buy Big Machine Labels from Scott Borchetta in 2019. That is because along with the label sale was the sale of Taylor Swift’s master records, which the singer had been trying to get back for years. If that wasn’t bad enough, the music executive reposted an Instagram Story bragging that he “bought” the pop star.
Taylor Swift fearlessly called Braun out on Tumblr for his “incessant, manipulative bullying.” Then, not even two years later, he sold her master recordings to Shamrock Holdings. She wasn’t even allowed to place a bid and buy them herself without signing an ironclad NDA.
Then, in 2022, Insider’s Anna Silman exposed the scenes hidden behind the success of Scooter Braun. According to her sources, Braun had become addicted to fame and power to the point of burning bridges. An industry player commented, “This is a very small business. You just run out of people to screw.”
That being said, people speculate that this is also about Braun’s shift in industry focus.
In April 2021, Braun’s Ithaca Holdings was sold to HYBE Entertainment, the home of the biggest boy band, BTS. It was a $1.05 billion deal, and according to corporate filing, the music executive received 462,380 shares totaling $86.2 million. (Grande and Bieber also earned $11 million in profit with the sale.)
Then, in January 2023, Braun was named the sole CEO of HYBE America. He previously shared the title with Big Hit Entertainment’s Lenzo Yoon.
Is Scooter worried?
It doesn’t look like he is the least bit worried about what’s happening with his empire. In a tweet, he joked, “Breaking news… I’m no longer managing myself.”
Aside from that comment, Scooter Braun was tight-lipped regarding issues about pop stars leaving his management. We’ll just have to wait for an official statement to know what’s happening inside. While we do, let’s eat some popcorn because this will be a long circus of headlines.
