Fans lost it after Universal Music pulled its songs from TikTok earlier this year, but one artist seems to be immune to their ongoing feud. Taylor Swift’s songs reappeared on this social media platform ahead of the release of her upcoming album The Tortured Poets Department.
Swift was one of the artists whose songs were pulled from the platform after TikTok failed to renew their licensing deal with Universal Music. The label was seeking fair compensation for their artists and protection from AI and piracy, and they refused to renew their deal after TikTok reportedly refused their conditions.
Music by artists licensed to UMG was removed from TikTok’s General Music Library at the time, affecting the likes of Swift, SZA, Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, and Kendrick Lamar. Smaller artists suffered an even bigger blow, losing an important promotional tool that helped them put their music on the map.
Three months later, some of Swift’s songs are back on TikTok, including “Lover,” “Anti-Hero,” “Cruel Summer”, “Cardigan”, and Taylor’s Versions of some of her re-recorded hits. It’s unclear if Swift reached a separate deal with TikTok or if she was able to take this step because she owns the copyright to her music under her Universal deal from 2018.
Swift’s music reappeared on TikTok just in time for the release of her next album The Tortured Poets Department, set to hit the shelves on April 19.
