Taylor Swift has been cleared to perform her older hits, including 'Shake It Off', at Sunday's American Music Awards (AMAs) after her former record label, Big Machine, agreed to a licensing deal. The singer is set to receive the artist of the decade award at the ceremony.
Last week, Swift claimed that Big Machine's new owners had blocked her from performing music from her first five albums at the AMAs. The dispute sparked a social media firestorm and drew criticism from politicians including Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who attacked the label's private equity backers.
In a statement on Monday, Big Machine said the two sides had reached a licensing agreement allowing performances to be streamed and rebroadcast. The label disputed Swift's claim that it could prevent her from performing live, stating that recording artists do not need label approval for live television performances.
Swift had blamed Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta and music manager Scooter Braun, whose Ithaca Holdings bought the label last year for $300m. She also called out the Carlyle Group, the investment firm that helped finance the purchase.
Despite the resolution for the AMAs, the future of a planned Netflix documentary remains uncertain. Swift has said she was told she cannot use her old music in the film. She plans to start rerecording her old albums next year to regain control of her catalogue.
