Singer and activist Billy Bragg has taken exception to Taylor Swift's decision to remove her music from Spotify, calling the move a part of a "corporate power play" between Google and Spotify. In a post on his Facebook page, Bragg takes Swift to task, suggesting that her decision to pull her music from Spotify was part of a deal with Google to headline the beta launch of their new Youtube Music Key streaming service.
Tayor Swift "Sold Her Soul To Google"
"If Ms Swift was truly concerned about perpetuating the perception that music has no value and should be free, she should be removing her material from YouTube, not cosying up to it," Bragg said.
"Given that this year is the first to fail to produce a new million selling album, I can understand Taylor Swift wanting to maximise her opportunities with the new record – and it worked: she shifted 1.28m copies of 1989 in the first week of sale. But she should just be honest with her fans and say “sorry, but Sergey Brin gave me a huge amount of money to be the headline name on the marquee for the launch of You Tube Music Key and so I’ve sold my soul to Google,” Bragg continued.
"Google are going after Spotify and Taylor Swift has just chosen sides," wrote Bragg. "That’s her prerogative as a savvy businesswoman – but please don’t try to sell this corporate power play to us as some sort of altruistic gesture in solidarity with struggling music makers."
Bragg has been critical of Google's music offerings in the past, suggesting that the company pressures indie labels into agreeing to low rates by threatening to block their material if they don't capitulate.
A spokesperson for Swift countered, telling the BBC that: "Taylor Swift has had absolutely no discussion or agreement of any kind with Google's new music streaming service."
Read the full text on Bragg's Facebook page.
via Celebrity Access
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