The singer Taylor Swift’s music has returned to TikTok after a dispute that led to her record label Universal Music Group pulling her content from the platform amidst an ongoing royalties dispute.
Swift Returns To TikTok
Fox News reported that Swift’s catalog of music suddenly reappeared on TikTok on Thursday for the first time since February 1, when the licensing deal between her label and the platform expired. UMG announced the day before that it had failed to reach a new licensing agreement with TikTok, and would therefore be pulling Swift’s music from the platform.
This was announced by the record label in a statement that was titled “An open letter to the artist and songwriter community — why we must call time out on TikTok.” In this statement, UMG accused TikTok of “trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.”
“We recognize the challenges that TikTok’s actions will cause and do not underestimate what this will mean to our artists and their fans who, unfortunately, will be among those subjected to the near-term consequences of TikTok’s unwillingness to strike anything close to a market-rate deal and meaningfully address its obligations as a social platform,” the statement read.
“But we have an overriding responsibility to our artists to fight for a new agreement under which they are appropriately compensated for their work, on a platform that respects human creativity, in an environment that is safe for all, and effectively moderated,” it added.
TikTok fired back by accusing UMG of being motivated by self-interest and of undermining the benefits of the platform.
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Swift’s Upcoming Album
This return to TikTok came just one week before the release of Swift’s highly anticipated 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which is set to drop on April 19.
Songs from Swift that can now be found on TikTok include tracks from her “Lover,” “folklore,” “evermore” and “Midnights” albums and her re-recorded versions of her “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red” and “1989” albums.
The only Swift songs that are not on TikTok at this time are the ones that she has yet to re-record, which are from her debut self-titled album and her sixth studio album “Reputation.”
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U.S. Trying To Ban TikTok
This also comes as the U.S. government is trying to ban TikTok. Last month, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill that would ban TikTok unless owner ByteDance agrees to sell the app to a non-Chinese company, according to The BBC. In doing so, lawmakers expressed fears that the Chinese government could use security laws to force ByteDance to hand over data about the 170 million TikTok users in the U.S.
The bill passed in a 352-65 vote, and it will now move to the Senate. Though it remains unclear if a majority of senators will approve the bill, President Joe Biden has already said that he will sign it into law if it hits his desk.
“If they pass it, I’ll sign it,” Biden told the Associated Press last month when asked about the legislation.
Though the former President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok during his presidency, he is now against the ban, saying that it will only benefit Facebook. Forbes reported that he recently described TikTok as “less of a danger to the USA than Meta (Facebook).”
Swift has yet to comment publicly on her TikTok return. It remains to be seen how much longer the platform will be allowed in the U.S.
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