If you love music, there's a chance you're familiar with Scooter Braun. The manager has worked with names like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato (not to mention the fact that he discovered Justin Bieber). Recently, Braun's been making headlines, not for clients joining his company, but because they're leaving it. I scoured the internet to find out what's going on in the music industry right now so you don't have to, so keep reading for everything you need to know.
Who is Scooter Braun?
Scooter Braun is a talent manager and the founder of SB Projects. He's had a hand in some huge pop culture moments — not only did he discover Justin Bieber, but he's also played a role in why Taylor Swift is rerecording her music and been behind shows like Dave and Scorpion.
Who does Scooter Braun manage?
Scooter Braun is currently working with names like Tori Kelly, Jeremy Zucker, Ava Max, and Jenna Raine.
What is going on with Scooter Braun?
Reportedly, a number of artists have all recently left SB Projects, including Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Idina Menzel. While the departures have been fodder for plenty of internet discussion, we don't quite know the "why" yet. Variety reports that some sources say, “He’s imploding...It’s a different world since the pandemic. You just can’t be an asshole like that anymore,” while another just claims that he's getting out of management.
Scooter Braun's Career Timeline
He Founded SB Projects In 2007
Braun began working with the label So So Def, throwing parties, meeting with producers, and brokering deals. He quickly got a reputation for his hard work. "A 'hustla' is somebody that doesn't take no for an answer," he says in a 2006 feature with Creative Loafing. "Somebody who has a vision and a goal and works to realize it; somebody who works his ass off to make it happen."
After dropping out of college, becoming So So Def's executive director of marketing, and partying with the likes of Britney Spears, Scooter Braun left the label to found his own company, SB Projects, in 2007.
He Discovered Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber started his music career by posting covers to YouTube. In the videos, he sang everything from Aretha Franklin to Alicia Keys, but it was a video of "So Sick" by Ne-Yo that changed the singer's life. Scooter Braun saw the video in 2007, and by 2008, Justin had signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), the label Braun co-founded with Usher.
Scooter Braun's Client List Expanded
SB Projects signed a lot of big names over the years. In addition to Justin Bieber, Braun has worked with Carly Rae Jepsen, Tori Kelly, Taylor Swift, Hilary Duff, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato.
SB Projects Expanded To Movies + TV
It didn't take long for Braun to move into other areas of media and entertainment. We can thank SB Projects' Film/TV/Audio for Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, Demi Lovato's Dancing With The Devil, Ariana Grande's Excuse Me I Love You, as well as Scorpion on CBS and Dave on FX. But the company didn't stop there; Silent Labs (a joint venture between SB Projects and Ron Zuckerman) invested in brands like Spotify and Pinterest.
Taylor Swift Left Scooter Braun's Management
While Scooter Braun was known inside the industry, he became even more widely known in 2019. His holding company, Ithaca, acquired Scott Borchetta's Big Machine Label Group, the studio that produced Taylor Swift's albums up until 2019's Lover. While reports surfaced that Swift's team was given the chance to buy the rights to those albums, Swift said in a Tumblr post that she never actually got the opportunity to purchase her music. Braun then went on to sell the singer's catalog to Shamrock Holdings for more than $300 million, via Variety.
Taylor Swift's inability to buy her music led her to begin the process of rerecording her first six albums. So far, we've got Fearless (Taylor's Version), Red (Taylor's Version), and Speak Now (Taylor's Version), and we'll be getting 1989 (Taylor's Version) on October 27.
More Singers Leave SB Projects
After Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun's split four years ago, more talent have parted ways with the manager in 2023. Reports from Entertainment Weekly say Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato both left Braun's management, while The Hollywood Reporter claims Idina Menzel left at the beginning of the year.
What do you think about Scooter Braun's career and clients? Let us know in the comments and follow us on Facebook for more pop culture news.
Lead image via Rachel Luna/Getty Images
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