Taylor Swift was Billboard’s first-ever Woman of the Decade recipient.
The “Lover” singer, who turns 30 today, took a moment during her speech to honor women in the music industry, some of which (unfortunately) have been treated unfairly.
“I've watched as one of my favorite artists of this decade, Lana Del Rey, was ruthly criticized…in her early career and then slowly but surely she turned into, in my opinion, the most influential artist in pop. Her vocal stylings, her lyrics, her aesthetics, they've been echoed and repurposed in every corner of music, and this year her incredible album is nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys because she just kept making art. And that example should inspire all of us, that the only way forward is forward motion. That we shouldn't let obstacles like criticism slow down the creative forces that drive us,” Swift said.
Swift also mentioned that regardless of the obstacles on their way, many of the newer faces in the music industry like Lizzo, Rosalia, Tayla Parx, Hayley Kiyoko, King Princess, Camila Cabello, Halsey, Megan Thee Stallion, Princess Nokia, Nina Nesbitt, Sigrid, Normani, H.E.R., Maggie Rogers, Becky G, Dua Lipa, Ella Mai, Billie Eilish are an example of women who “have taken this challenge, and they have accepted it.”
The “Bad Blood” singer also slammed Scooter Braun during her speech.
"Lately, there's been a new shift that has affected me personally, and that I feel is a potentially harmful force in our industry. And as your resident loud person, I feel the need to bring it up: And that is the unregulated world of private equity coming in, and buying up our music, as if it is real estate, as if it's an app, or a shoe line.
"This just happened to me without my approval, consultation, or consent. After I was denied the chance to purchase my music outright, my entire catalog was sold to Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings in a deal that I'm told was funded by the Soros family, 23 Capital and the Carlyle Group.
"Yet, to this day, none of these investors have ever bothered to contact me or my team directly, to perform their due diligence on their investment, on their investment in me, to ask how I might feel about the new owner of my art - the music I wrote, the videos I created, photos of me, my handwriting, my album designs. And of course Scooter never contacted me or my team to discuss it prior to the sale, or even when it was announced.
"I'm fairly certain he knew how I would feel about it, though, and let me just say that the definition of the toxic male privilege in our industry is people saying, 'But he's always been nice to me!' when I'm raising valid concerns about artists and their right to own their music.
"Of course he's nice to you. If you're in this room, you have something he needs.
"The fact is that private equity is what enabled this man to think, according to his own social media post, that he could 'buy me,' but I'm obviously not going willingly."
Watch Taylor Swift’s full speech below:
It’s pretty clear that the 30-year-old singer hasn’t had it easy since she first started singing but we’re glad to see that she’s excelled in everything she was told she would never be able to.
Happy birthday Taylor Swift & congrats on all your success!