Taylor Swift vs The World | On the Outside | 1

0:14Taylor Swift's plane lands in Las Vegas around noon on February 11, 2024, only hours after the end of her sold-out show in Tokyo. She steps off her jet, smiling, her red and white Kansas City Chiefs jacket slung over her shoulder. The media had turned her anticipated appearance into a nail-biter. Would she make it to Vegas on time? But thanks to a 17-hour time difference, she made the 6 ,000-mile flight with about three and a half hours to spare before kickoff. She casually heads through the stadium tunnels with actress Blake Lively, rapper I-Spice, and her parents walking alongside her. She tucks some stray hairs into her ponytail as she walks down a hallway to her suite atop the stadium, happily greeting friends and fans along the way.

1:03Hey, we're gonna win this one, right? Oh, yeah. I can't wait for the game to start. Can you believe this? This is so exciting. Hey, Taylor, is Travis ready for this? This is the big one. Absolutely. 100%. This is my first football game, and honestly, I came for you. That is so kind. Taylor's eyes scan the field until they land on the jersey of number 87, Kansas City Chief's tight end, Travis Kelsey. She sighs. At this moment, before the game starts, the action is right here inside her suite. People snap photos of Taylor and they ricochet instantly around the world through social media. Taylor's every move and fashion choice is scrutinized.

1:46And when you're this big and beloved by millions, no detail is too small to obsess over. Instagram, TikTok, and X light up with chatter about her black cropped corset and black jeans with slits in the shape of eyes rimmed with crystals. As usual, she wears her meticulously applied red lipstick. On the field below, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers practice passes and rushes. Despite his muscle and heft, Travis moves nimbly as he warms up. There's been a lot of buzz around Taylor and Travis for months. At games, she's become a magnet for the cameras. Swifties are aflutter about the prospect of new love for Taylor, and gamblers are laying Vegas odds on a marriage proposal.

2:39She watches as Travis heatedly expresses frustration and bumps Chiefs head coach Andy Reid. Every so often during the game, the camera cuts away from the field to Taylor's sweep to catch her reactions. And this really grates on some Chiefs fans, mostly devoted male fans who grouse that she's a sideshow, a distraction, that she draws the wrong kind of spectator. And by that they mean girls, teenage girls who don't know the game. And millions of young women are tuning in because of Taylor. To this, gruff NFL executives say unapologetically, open the damn door. For years, the NFL has tried and failed to draw female fans.

3:23And then this insanely successful influencer shows up and does it for them, effortlessly. Swifties are in it for the love story. And right now, there is no bigger love story on the planet than Travis and Taylor. They are what passes for American royalty. That was Kelsey pulling it down for the first down on a fourth and two. You're going to throw it to the right always. Young women may be tuning in for the love story, but a lot of them are staying for the football. And that suits the fathers of these young teenage girls just fine. For many of them, they're connecting with their daughters over football for the first time.

4:05As tender and misty as these moments might be, NFL executives have a clear-eyed take on what this Taylor-NFL monster mashup means for the league. Research by the Apex Marketing Group says it's added about$330 million in marketing value to the Chiefs and the league. Viewership is soaring, and many of the hugely expensive Super Bowl ads are aimed squarely at women. Taylor's Instagram following of more than 270 million hardcore Swifties is nearly 10 times the NFL's 28.4 million. And those who cross Taylor quickly learn the Swifties are more than just fans. They're a force to be reckoned with. Travis finishes the game with a key catch in overtime that advances Kansas City to the three-yard line just one play before the sudden-death touchdown that gives the Chiefs a 25-22 victory over the San Francisco 49ers and their third Super Bowl championship in just five years.

5:14As the players exultantly hug each other, Taylor walks onto the field and past exuberant fans and players and straight into the arms of Travis. To the uninitiated, it might almost seem too perfect, too choreographed, too Hollywood. But then she braces his face with her hands, and they exchange a very real victory kiss.

5:43To some, it seems like Taylor has it all. The fame, the money, the fans, and the guy. But not so long ago, she had to fight like hell just to get the respect of the music industry and ownership of the song she felt were rightfully hers. It was an ugly battle, and one impossible to ignore. An epic battle that began with a figure then little known outside the music industry. A certain Scooter Braun.

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8:32Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop stars of the century. Since being discovered by Scott Borchetta as a teenager, Swift has grown to become the biggest selling artist of her generation. She has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide and has a net worth of more than a billion dollars. Scooter Braun is the top music manager in the world, and one of a very few to become a celebrity in his own right. Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun's feud is a proxy for the furious battles over ownership happening all across the music business right now, from streaming to the rise of music catalogs. The battle is being waged mostly in boardrooms, but Swift also enlists her forces from social media.

9:21Not only is this a fight between the powerful pop star and manager for a$300 million catalog, it's a fight that could reshuffle the entire business model of the music industry. And powerful forces are picking sides. This is Episode 1, On the Outside.

9:46November 2004, Nashville. A young Taylor Swift tucks her blonde curly hair behind her ears and clears her throat. She's only 15, but she looks older than that. Her piercing blue eyes are fixed on her guitar. This performance is the most important of her life so far. She needs to get it just right. I hope you like this. I worked real hard on it. Swift strums her first chord and begins to sing. But she's not in a dimly lit nightclub or one of the karaoke bars she performed in as a kid. Today, she's in one of the offices of Universal Music Group. Sitting across from her is Scott Borchetta. He's a record exec in his early 40s.

10:35He's had a decent career, but no huge hits. Still, it's a big deal for Swift to get a meeting with someone at Universal. The lyrics are honest, confessional, and it's surprisingly well-written for a teenager. Ever since she moved a few years ago from Pennsylvania to Nashville, Swift has been making a name for herself. She wants to be a star. Now. Orchetta applauds, and Swift's mom, who was also in the meeting, beams at her daughter. That was great. Just great. Who did you co-write that with? Thank you. Oh, that one was all me. Orchetta raises his eyebrows. He'd assumed one of Swift's more experienced collaborators had helped her.

11:24Great songwriting is key for country music success. He's intrigued. Wow, that's very impressive. And do you play any other instruments besides guitar? Yes, I play piano, ukulele, and the banjo. Worsheta nods. Another point for Swift. He looks carefully at her. He first heard of her when he received her demo. Along with the music, the package included a picture of Swift modeling in an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog. She was holding a guitar and wiping a tear. The picture projected this all-American image, one that could work for country. Yeah, Borchetta thinks. She's the whole package. He thinks for a second.

12:07Teenagers aren't stars in country music, let alone teenage girls. Most of the listeners are much older, and a lot of them are men. But Swift looks older than she is, so he might be able to pass her off as a 20-something. Plus, she's a great songwriter. It's a risk from a marketing perspective. But he loves her music. He thinks she could be a star. Here's what I want to do. I want to sign you as a solo artist, not just a songwriter. Swift clasps her hands together. A grin spreads across her cheeks. This is exactly what she's been hoping for. But Borchetta's not done. But I don't want you to sign to Universal.

12:53I want you to sign to my own label. I want to put the music back in the music business. Swift looks at her mom excitedly. They're both thrilled. They can hardly believe this is happening. Oh, that sounds amazing. So what do we do now? Well, I haven't got the label set up yet. I'll reach out to you when I do. Over the next few days, Swift weighs her options. Even though she's only a teen, she's got a clear idea of what she wants from her career. She already has a development deal with a major label, but they want to wait until she's 18 to break her as a solo artist. Borchetta wants to launch her career right away.

13:39So, she does what any teenage girl would do when facing a monumental decision. She writes about it in her journal. This last week was crazy. So, Capitol Records doesn't think I'm ready, but there's Scott Borchetta, and he's so passionate about the project. I think that's the way we're going to go. I want to surround myself with passionate people. She calls Borsheta. Hi, Scott. It's Taylor. I just want you to know I've made up my mind and I'm waiting for you. She wiggles out of her old contract and Borsheta officially launches his own label, Big Machine.

14:242005. The new big machine office is on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. Swift looks around her. The offices are pretty grungy. But it doesn't matter. Swift figures it's only up from here. Borchetta walks in, holding some paper. All right, here's the final contract. As you can see, we've got a six-album deal. Swift looks at her parents. This is her dream come true. Her mom gives her an encouraging smile. Her dad leans over to read the fine print in the contract. He's a successful stockbroker, but he doesn't really know anything about the music business. And this bit here, what does this mean?

15:08So this basically says that Taylor will own her publishing rights, and Big Machine will own the master recordings. Pretty standard stuff for a recording contract. Swift's dad nods. Borchetta turns to Taylor. We're so excited to partner with you, Taylor. I promise you. My utmost loyalty. We're in this together, and we're going to make you a star. Thank you so much, Scott. I'm so excited to be at a label that cares about the music as much as I do. Swift beams up at her dad. Swift's dad might be a novice in this industry, but he's decided to invest in Borchetta's label as a show of support for his daughter.

15:47Anything for his little girl. I see the terms we agreed on for my investment. $130 ,000 for 3%. Exactly. It's right there. So, are we good to go? We're good to go. Taylor? Swift lifts up the pin. Let's do it. It's the happiest moment of Swift's life. How could she know it would also one day be the source of so much pain and humiliation?

16:20Back in the 90s, Prince famously started writing Slave on His Face to protest his label owning his masters. He once said, if you don't own your masters, they own you. As part of his epic battle with his label, he changed his name to a symbol in protest. Prince was just one of the artists to demand the rights to own their work. But despite the uproar, It was still standard practice for labels to own masters. Labels insist that owning masters is a key part of their business model. They take a big risk by fronting money to develop a new artist that may never make it. The master recordings are insurance on that risk.

17:04If the label loses money on one artist, they can make it up with a big star's masters, which they can license to TV shows, films, or commercials. In exchange for giving up rights to the masters, the label gives the artist an advance. Those advances pay for studio times, promotion, and any other costs associated with making the record. That's the kind of money most artists starting out just don't have.

17:402005. Quad Studios in Nashville. Swift stands inside the insulated vocal booth. She leans into a large vocal mic in a pop filter. Huge headphones cover her ears. She looks through the studio glass to the man sitting at the recording control panel. It's Nathan Chapman, a red-haired country songwriter and producer. Swift's nervous, but Chapman puts her at ease. All right, Taylor, it's sounding great. Let's take this from the pickup to the chorus. A little more punch this time, like you're both angry and sad. You know what I'm saying? Gotcha. Ready when you are. Chapman begins a recording. Swift takes a deep breath.

18:21Borsheta is in the back of the booth watching. When you think Tim McGraw Hope you think my best Now, this song is going to become her first single, Tim McGraw. It's about an ex-boyfriend. In it, Swift reminisces about the good times they shared. One of those was dancing to Tim McGraw, hence the chorus of this new song. Swift sings it with a mix of fondness and longing in her voice, a perfect cocktail of nostalgia for love's gone by. Her silky smooth harmonies are classic country, As is the simple acoustic guitar. She even has a little twang in her voice. Swift finishes her take. Forchetta brushes past Chapman and hops on the mic in the booth.

19:08Taylor, that's great. Really great. This is the debut single right here. I know you want to call it when you think Tim McGraw, but I think let's just go with Tim McGraw. It's catchier for radio. Sure, Scott. Whatever you think is best. It's a stroke of genius on his part. Radio is critical for country music success. By name-checking a country superstar, Borsheta is hoping that people will hear the song and ask, who is this new artist with a song called Tim McGraw? And Borsheta has another trick up his sleeve to help Taylor break through to a country audience.

19:492006, nighttime on Nashville's infamous Music Row, the town's music industry hub of labels and venues on a few square blocks. Taylor Swift is on an outdoor set for her first big TV feature. It's with GAC Family, a country-focused cable network. A makeup artist applies a final dusting of powder to her cheeks. Neon lights and billboards illuminate the dark sky in the background. Her blonde curls blow in the breeze. Because getting a record deal means being able to do what I want to do. From the director's monitor, Swift looks more like Dolly Parton than a pop princess. She's got long blonde curls and rosy cheeks.

20:32She speaks with a surprisingly persuasive southern twang. On screen, there's an intensity in her eyes that belies her age. A lot of her image is makeup and stagecraft. But one thing is absolutely genuine and clear. Her ambition. The best part about getting a record deal was that it wasn't just a record deal, it was the right deal for me. Borsheta wants to sell Swift's story as an authentic country artist by doing this in Nashville. I love the recording process because I love singing. And it really gives me a chance to hone in on every single word, make it count, make it perfect. And I'm a perfectionist.

21:14The truth is, Swift's career began far from Nashville. She grew up on a Christmas tree farm in Pennsylvania. Still, she adored the female country artist she heard as a kid. The first CD she bought was by Leanne Rimes. She devoured the work of Shania Twain and Faith Hill. Her talent led her to musical theater, and then karaoke. Soon, she was singing the national anthem at sports games and other big venues. and very quickly she realized she wanted to be a country singer. As an 11-year-old, she walked into every label and asked them for a record deal. When none materialized, she badgered her parents to move to Nashville so she could take her dreams seriously.

22:06They finally relented and the whole family uprooted to the South. Swift spends the summer of 2006 in Big Machine's office, mailing copies of her new record out to radio stations. She's ready to launch her debut album with all the hopes and dreams that go with that. Some debut albums do sail, but most often they end up sinking straight to the bottom.

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24:53Late 2006. Taylor Swift stands in front of a studio microphone at a drab, gray-walled radio station. Hey, I'm Taylor Swift, and you're listening to The Morning Drive with Mike and Joanna. Q104, you're number one for country. Swift takes the headphones off her head and turns to the host. Was that good? That was perfect, thank you. Trust me, you'll be hearing that a lot on the radio. Oh, I can't wait. Just so long as you play my song. You betcha. Swift's mother, Andrea, steps in. Taylor, honey, it's time for us to get going. Sure, Mom. They walk out of the studio and head for the car. Swift and Andrea drive to the next stop Despite Swift's radio offensive to promote her self-titled debut album It only sells 39 ,000 copies in its first week But Swift isn't giving up She's doubling down She throws all her energy into promoting the record to boost sales Time is at a premium, so she arranges to attend high school remotely Her days are packed with radio stations, interviews, and performances in shopping malls.

26:05When she's not promoting her record in person, she connects with her fans through a new website called MySpace. She gets about 600 emails a day, and she tries to answer every one with messages like this. OMG, thank you so much. I'm so excited for you to hear. The album comes out in October. It's hard work, but Swift's determined to make herself a success. And in time, her loyal followers, lovingly cultivated by Swift, will become a force for her. And her family is all in. They moved south so she could be a country music artist. They don't pressure her. She does that herself. She and her mom are on the road a lot, going from one radio station to the next.

26:56She feels like she has to make this work. All right, we're at the next station. Thanks, Mom. A year after Swift's first album is released, it eventually reaches number five on the Billboard 200. It's been a slow burn, but Swift's career is about to take off like wildfire. Before long, the album has sold millions of copies. It's a great success for Swift and Borchetta. New labels usually struggle, but Swift's success establishes Big Machine and Borchetta as a team, a force to be reckoned with. It seems smooth sailing. Over the horizon, however, is a powerful force. The man who will one day try to claim Taylor Swift's entire empire.

27:52whether she likes it or not.

28:02Early 2007, Atlanta, Georgia. A 20-something with dark hair and a baseball cap is sitting in front of his computer watching YouTube videos. Scooter Braun is a former club promoter who works at Jermaine Dupree's label, SoSoDev. He's doing research for an artist on the label. when a related video pops up that catches his eye. It's a young kid wearing a white shirt and black tie. He's performing in a church singing competition.

28:38Ron leans closer. This kid has a crystal clear voice. He's performing a note-perfect rendition of a neo-hit. But it's the kid's vocal style that catches Braun's ear. He sings with such emotion and natural ease. Braun is instantly amazed. He needs to know more about this kid. There's talent there. And Braun wants in. So he gets in touch with this young kid. His name? Justin Bieber. Braun even flies Bieber and his mom out to Atlanta. Braun decides to become his manager. And like Swift, Bieber will soon become a teen sensation too. And their paths will meet in the most unlikely of circumstances.