Metadata attached to the release on Apple Music show that the second release. “Blonde,” is out on the artist’s own indie label Boys Don’t Cry, which is not affiliated with Def Jam or parent Universal Music Group (UMG).
A source familiar with the situation confirmed the split to Forbes. So even without a major label, “Blonde” is headed for #1 in both the US and UK, according to Billboard, with 225-250,000 album equivalent streams exclusively from Apple.
In recent months Russia’s once sin-binned social network, vKontakte, has inked licensing deals with Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, in part to power a new mobile subscription streaming app.
Today, bringing to a close a two-year lawsuit against VK, Universal has announced that it’s done the same. The major has reached a settlement with VK parent Mail.ru and licensed its social media platforms – VK, Odnoklassniki and My World – for future use of video and audio content from UMG artists like Taylor Swift.
Source: This deal will change everything for the music business in Russia – Music Business Worldwide