At the 2024 Grammys on February 4, Taylor Swift announced her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department. The album is set to release on April 19th and has already gotten so much love from Swift’s fans—but could Swift be milking the success?
After the initial announcement of the album, Swift had already set up four different versions of the album that all have extra bonus tracks within them. However, these versions each only have one song on them. Therefore, to listen to them all, all four versions will have to be purchased until they are all released on streaming platforms. While this release tactic may be good for music collectors and hardcore Swifties, there are restrictions for those of us who are simply looking to listen to the new songs.
Since these variants of albums are only available on vinyl, which averages around $35 a vinyl, the price definitely adds up just to listen to a few extra songs.
This is not the first time Swift has done this either. When she released her album, Midnights, she also released four variants that came out in vinyl and CD form. She also released multiple variants of her albums 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Folklore, and Evermore. Although she did release these on streaming platforms, she still used vinyls as a way to get more popularity and gain success with the album.
Could it be possible that Taylor Swift uses these extra “exclusive” variants of some of her albums to earn more profit from them? According to USA Today, it has become very evident to fans that being a Taylor Swift fan can become very costly. “Fans have had mixed reactions to the multiple versions on social media, and it’s not the first time they’ve debated the price of being a Taylor Swift fan. In December, Swift released a rental version of the Eras Tour movie, asking Swifties to pay $19.89 to watch the movie for 48 hours. Next week, the movie will be released on Disney+ with her song “Cardigan” added and four new acoustic songs (including “Maroon”).” While these prices are not just about the new album, they still demonstrate the fact of how high prices for Taylor Swift indulgences can be.
Each of the variants of past albums has been great but while it is fun to have a few bonus songs the price of those songs doesn’t seem like a “bonus”. Many fans have already paid so much money for other Taylor Swift merchandise items or even tickets for the concert or movie. Adding to this price may steer some fans away from purchasing any more physical copies of the album for a while.
Whether or not the purchase of the different variants of The Tortured Poets Department is a personal decision, and no one is judging for wanting a little extra music for their price. However, just waiting for a digital copy of the songs may be the most cost-effective way to listen. Regardless of the decision, we are sure the new album will be worth the listen.
