What is Scooter Braun up to? Ariana Grande’s public parting of ways with her manager over his refusal to quit his vacation yacht to help her out with tabloid intrusion into her breakup with Pete Davidson has revealed a sea of discontent. Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, J Balvin and Frozen star Idina Menzel have packed their metaphorical bags. Braun’s journey to billion-dollar manager of some of the world’s leading artists began in 2008 when he came across a video of a 12 year-old Canadian singing in his local church. That boy was Justin Bieber. Braun went on to create his stable, his myth and his enemies in equal measure, with an un-managerly social media following to rival his acts. His smartest deal was leaping into the arms of the vast Korean music industry, selling his operation to boy band BTS’ label Hybe in a billion-dollar deal. So why is 2021’s “music mogul of the year” losing his way? Has his arch-nemesis, Taylor Swift, hexed him with her call for karma? Or, as one source hinted to Variety, were unsavoury revelations soon to come to light? “It’s a different world since the pandemic. You just can’t be an asshole like that anymore.” For now, the music industry remains on Scooter-watch.
Photograph Kevin Mazur/WireImage