Savvy Taylor Swift could be behind $800m payday for fellow musicians after tucking secret clause into record deal
TAYLOR SWIFT is proving she doesn’t just top the charts – but is also helping pay the bills of thousands of artists in the industry.
Insiders said the pop powerhouse could be behind a payday worth up to $800million for fellow musicians, thanks to a savvy little move she tucked into her record deal years ago.
When Taylor signed with Universal Music Group in 2018, she had assurances that if the label ever cashed in its Spotify shares, the artists had to get a slice of the pie.
Now UMG is preparing to flog part of its multi-billion-pound stake in the streaming giant, and a chunky wedge of that cash could be heading straight to the people making hits.
It is thought between $500million and $800million could be shared out, meaning a serious payday for everyone from global superstars to artists still making their way up.
Drake, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande and Kendrick Lamar are all in the mix.
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Taylor won’t be out of pocket either, as this will only add another layer to her $1.8billion empire.
From reclaiming her masters to reshaping how streaming pays out, she’s made a habit of shaking up the system.
And this might just be her most generous plot twist yet.
LEO IS LORD OF THE GRINS
ONE Day and Bridget Jones actor Leo Woodall is on to a grinner as he spends an evening with girlfriend Meghann Fahy.
The smiling couple put on a united front at The King’s Trust annual gala in New York on Wednesday, proving they’re still very much an item.
Brit Leo and the US actress fell for each other after meeting on the set of The White Lotus in 2022, and now live together in the Big Apple.
We’ll soon be able to see plenty more of him on screen, as he has landed a major role in The Lord Of The Rings: The Hunt For Gollum, which hits cinemas next year.
BREAK-UP AND BABY BATTLE IN NEW JESY DOCUMENTARY
JESY NELSON is making a documentary about her battle to overhaul baby screening laws.
The former Little Mix singer will launch an hour-long film at Sheffield Docfest on June 11, in which she is shown coming to terms with her twin girls’ diagnosis with SMA type 1.
It will also show her dealing with the breakdown of her relationship with rapper Zion Foster.
Jesy revealed in January that daughters Ocean and Story had the genetic disorder, which results in muscle degeneration.
She said the impact could have been prevented if it had been detected earlier, leading to her fight to get heel prick tests for all newborns.
The film is said to be “raw and powerful”.
Its rundown adds: “The documentary follows Jesy as she comes to terms with what the diagnosis means for her girls, adapts to the everyday challenges of their conditions, and finds her footing as a single mother after the break-up of her relationship.
“It’s a portrait of motherhood, resilience and the fierce determination that comes from knowing that a simple change in the system can save lives.”
The documentary follows on from Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix, which aired on Prime Video earlier this year, although no date has been set for its release.
OLIVIA IN A BUNNY MOOD
OLIVIA RODRIGO is ready to get back in the swing of things by announcing a massive tour, less than a year after headlining Glastonbury.
The singer, who posed in a flowing dress and bunny shoes for Cosmopolitan magazine, will hit the road for her third run of headline shows, called The Unraveled Tour, in September.
UK fans might face a scrap for tickets when they go on pre-sale next Tuesday ahead of a general sale on Thursday.
Her only dates in Blighty so far are four shows at London’s O2 Arena, in April next year.
It comes ahead of the release of her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, on June 12.
She told Cosmo of the record: “I was really excited to write about joy, love, and passion in a way that I had never really done.
“Most of my big songs are about being sad, angry, heartbroken.
“Sometimes I listen back to it and I cringe.
“It’s cringier to be happy.
“I cringe, but I’m free.”
JACKO FILM SEQUEL AFTER ‘GAMBLE’ HIT
LIONSGATE studio boss Adam Fogelson has revealed Michael Jackson’s story isn’t stopping at just one film.
He’s confirmed a sequel, and reckons rival companies will be kicking themselves for not moonwalking into the deal sooner.
Michael, starring the singer’s nephew Jaafar Jackson, has become a box office hit, with the biggest global opening weekend for any biopic.
Adam said of a follow-up: “It’s going to happen whether it’s this year or next year.”
He said Lionsgate took a huge gamble backing the project in 2021, due to controversies surrounding the late King of Pop, but insists they knew audiences would turn up.
Adam added: “You know that if this comes together, there is an audience.
“It was one of those rare times where there was nothing but joy.
“There is a massive amount of music and life experience that would fill more than a second movie on its own.”
With Jacko fans already clamouring for more, it looks like this thriller is only just getting started.
MADONNA and Sabrina Carpenter have dropped the biggest release of the week with their collaboration Bring Your Love.
The pair finally put the song out this morning, a fortnight after performing it at Coachella festival in the US.
Also back today is Becky Hill with Hands On Me, while Bleachers have released I’m Not Joking from their fifth album Everyone For Ten Minutes, which will be out on May 22.
I also recommend Sunderland artist Tom A. Smith’s six-track EP Put On A Record Tommy, featuring Happy Mondays collaborator Rowetta on the title track.
KRIS JENNER is so paranoid, she can’t go for a walk without security by her side.
On her daughter Khloe Kardashian‘s podcast, Khloe In Wonderland, Kris said she lives “crime stories” in her head every day.
Kris said: “I was on vacation and I felt like taking the bicycle out in front of the villa and riding down to the restaurant.
“I thought, no, because what if I’m riding the bike and somebody jumps out of the bushes, grabs the bike, throws me in the back of a van and takes off?”
Khloe added: “My mom won’t go on a walk in the neighbourhood without security following her in a vehicle.”