Check and mate.
As the clock neared midnight on Thursday, pop music fans around the world readied themselves for Katy Perry’s fifth studio album, “Witness.” Little did they know that the singer’s rival, Taylor Swift, would swoop in at the last moment to steal Perry’s thunder by releasing her entire back catalogue on streaming services that same night.
Swift’s music is now available on Spotify, Apple Music and Tidal, reversing her decision to rebuke major streaming services for not properly compensating artists.
“In celebration of ‘1989’ selling over 10 million albums worldwide and the RIAA’s 100 million song certification announcement, Taylor wants to thank her fans by making her entire back catalog available to all streaming services tonight at midnight,” a statement from the official TaylorNation Instagram read.
Swift pulled her entire catalogue from Spotify and Apple Music in 2014, describing the push toward streaming music online as a “grand experiment” contributing to the perception that music should be free.
“I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists and creators of this music,” she told Yahoo about her decision at the time.
The singer later came to an agreement with Apple Music after releasing an open letter encouraging the service to pay artists during its free three-month trial period. An Apple executive quickly responded to Swift’s plea, and her music ― including her new album at the time, “1989” ― was made available for streaming.
Of course, the internet reacted accordingly to the suspicious timing of the singer’s return, reigniting the now years-long feud between Swift and Perry and their fandoms. Snake emojis, and fun, were had by all.
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