Taylor Swift has officially turned a page in our time's most high-stakes music rights saga. Naturally, she celebrated with a cozy, power-packed dinner date in New York City with her best friend, fellow pop royalty, and shrimp cocktail enthusiast, Selena Gomez.
Over the weekend, the duo was spotted at the iconic Monkey Bar, a Manhattan institution dating back to 1936. Known for its moody ambiance and classic shellfish, steaks, and pasta menu, the restaurant posted a vague notice on its website about closing for a private event at 6:30 p.m. Saturday. Was it for Tay and Sel? The vibes say yes.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupTaylor Now Owns Her Music
This quiet but glamorous dinner came one day after Swift, 35, dropped the news that she's officially regained ownership of the masters of her first six studio albums, including 1989 and Reputation.
In a heartfelt handwritten letter on her website, Taylor wrote: "I'm trying to gather my thoughts into something coherent, but right now my mind is just a slideshow."
That slideshow apparently included two decades of near-misses, but after years of legal, emotional, and financial warfare, she finally won. "All of the music I've ever made … now belongs… to me."
From Bad Blood to BFF Bonding
The paparazzi snapped Swift and Gomez mid-convo, deep in discussion over dinner. With an expression somewhere between "Wait, WHAT?!" and "You're kidding," Taylor looked genuinely shaken. Selena, 32, sat across from her, all calm wisdom and supportive bestie energy. These two have been through it: career highs, public drama, messy exes, and now they're clinking glasses to one of the hardest-won victories in pop culture history.
Gomez later posted on her Instagram stories that she was "so proud" of Swift, proving once again that real friendship is forever.
A Billion-Dollar Backstory
Let's rewind for context. In 2019, Swift's former label, Big Machine Records, was acquired by Scooter Braun's Ithaca Holdings, giving Braun control of the masters to her first six albums: "Taylor Swift," "Fearless," "Speak Now," "Red," "1989," and "Reputation." Taylor publicly blasted the move, calling Braun a "bully" and claiming she was never given a fair shot at buying her work.
Later, Braun sold those masters to Shamrock Capital for an estimated $300 million. And now, in a plot twist that's better than any third-act movie reveal, Billboard reports that Taylor has repurchased them from Shamrock for around $360 million.
So yes, she paid for her own life's work again. But now it's hers. No asterisks, no re-recording caveats, just 100% Taylor.
Swift has been in her "Eras Tour" empire-building mode for the last two years, and with the re-recording campaign now potentially behind her, the possibilities are endless. Will she retire her Taylor's Version battle cry? Will we see an even bolder creative phase from the artist who's already reinvented herself a dozen times? Or maybe she'll take a breather and enjoy a few more quiet nights out with Selena.
© Backgrid/The Grosby GroupEither way, Taylor Swift has officially won the long game. And she did it with style, steak, and the kind of friendship that makes even the biggest victories taste sweeter.
