Jack Antonoff praises Taylor Swift for “changing music industry first-hand”

Jack Antonoff has praised Taylor Swift for changing “the music industry first-hand”, after the singer faced a series of battles over her music.

In recent years, Swift has been involved in a very public battle to regain control of her master recordings from Scooter Braun and previously took on Spotify in 2014 in a bid to leverage fairer treatment for artists.

Speaking to NME for this week’s Big Read interview, Antonoff – who frequently produces Swift’s work – said of her: “I’ve seen her change the music industry first-hand.

“She’s amazing for being a champion, and making things better for the generations to come. She has a long history of rightly exposing some real darkness in the music industry. And I’m personally thankful for it, outside of our friendship and working relationship, just as an artist. She’s asked me some questions a lot of people are afraid to ask.”

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Credit: Matt Salacuse for NME

Pushed on the aforementioned questions asked by Swift, Antonoff replied: “‘Why is this OK?’ ‘Why is it OK to treat an artist like this?’ ‘Why is it OK to exercise ownership over things that someone makes from their heart and soul? Why?’

“And the answer is always the same: because that’s how it’s been. And that’s why it’s amazing if someone like her comes along and says, ‘Well, hold on: why?’”






Meanwhile, Antonoff’s side project Bleachers recently teamed up with Lana Del Rey on collaborative track ‘Secret Life’.