The special features an exclusive interview with the plaintiff and songwriter
As Taylor Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour expands around the globe and onto the silver screen, CNN’s investigation into the copyright lawsuit brought by songwriters Sean Hall and Nathan Butler against Swift for her hit song “Shake it Off” will stream on Max in Taking on Taylor Swift. Produced by the CNN FlashDocs unit, the special explores creativity, credit, and the hazy line between cultural appreciation and appropriation. The special will be available to stream on Friday, October 20th on Max, ten months after premiering on CNN in December 2022.
The 2017 lawsuit, which was settled and dismissed in 2022, alleged the chorus of Swift’s hit song, “Shake It Off” (“’cause the players gonna play, play, play…”) is a direct lift from the 2000 song, “Playas Gon’ Play” written by Hall and Butler, and made famous by the girl group, 3LW. For the first time since taking legal action, Hall spoke exclusively to CNN, along with his attorney Marina V. Bogorad, about their experience taking on an indisputable giant of the music industry.
Taking on Taylor Swift scrutinizes the legal, ethical and cultural merits of this case and similar lawsuits lodged against some of the world’s biggest pop stars. The special features insights from songwriters Tayla Parx and Kandi Burruss, and provocative observations from critics and journalists including Shirley Halperin (Los Angeles Magazine), Sidney Madden (NPR), and Mikael Wood (Los Angeles Times).
Swift is the biggest pop star in the world as the 53-date North American leg of her record-breaking The Eras Tour was attended by more than three million Swifties. The trek is expected to make Swift the highest-grossing female artist and The Eras Tour the largest-ever grossing tour in US history as it’s projected to gross more than $2 billion by the end of its international run.
The tour is currently on hiatus before kicking back off in South America on November 9th. International dates are planned through summer 2024 before returning to North America for 14 dates next fall.
Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour concert film opened theatrically last week, raking in more than $92.8 million domestically and $123.5 million globally to land the biggest debut of all time for a concert film. The film spans more than two and a half hours and features over three dozen songs recorded during a six-night stand at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in August.
