AIBU to think releasing 28 album variations is exploiting your fans?

How does this block female artists rather than male?

especially when #2 in the charts is oasis, not a female artist…

I’m not sure there’s any reason to say she is specifically blocking other women.

Don't even get me started on the over inflated prices of the associated merchandise too. I pre ordered the album on the official website for DD so I've been getting the marketing emails and had a look to see what they had as I know DD quite fancies the cardigan as a Christmas present. £60 for a pair of tracksuit bottoms, £110 for a jacket. It just seems like complete greed, they could probably sell them for half of that and still make a tidy profit.

It’s all about the money.

The most charitable way of looking at it is that it gives fans a chance to 'express themselves' by choosing the album art that most appeals to them. It's a way of customising the experience. However, realistically, I think it's a money grab and an attempt to stay top of the charts and break records for album sales.

I've liked a couple of her songs, but I haven't ever sought out her music, so I'm not really a fan. However, if parents and adult fans are stupid enough to waste money trying to collect every album or other collectible related to Taylor Swift (or any artist), I can't say that I feel much sympathy for them. At some point, we're responsible for our own actions.

It’s really normal for artists to do it now

21 pilots had 21 variants of their last album

Charli xcx had over 40 of hers

She does it to block other female artists from getting the number one spot.

This is about the album release last week where she has released several different vinyl and cd variants to purchase.

I doubt many are buying all the versions. Loads of artists keep dropping extended/deluxe etc versions. DD usually waits now before buying any vinyls to see what versions/covers they are releasing first. In comparison Spotify is cheap and it’s all streamable on there.

I agree it's over the top, the countdowns have created a hysteria over them too with people panic buying them in case they sold out.
I'm in a few Facebook groups and there have been lots of posts from people upset because they've fallen for the hype and ordered all the variants when they can't really afford them, some have even ordered vinyl when they have no record player.

This to me is no different than Jellycat making soft toys (with faces) out of any random object.

Collectors are fools really. I'm sure they wouldn't bother if they didn't have the money though! It's not compulsory.

She's probably in such a bubble of wealth at this point that a team sorts this stuff out for her and she doesn't think anything of it.

I think the have the best first week sales and also to break records that were set at a time before streaming. Physical media matters to her for some reason.

I paid £1000 to see the eras tour 3 times. I’d consider myself a big fan.

I remember being really upset when Red came out and I had ordered the first version available, but then the deluxe edition came out and I really wanted the bonus tracks. At that point I stopped pre-ordering and bought on the day from iTunes, which also began backfiring as a strategy with the Midnights 3am edition and TTPD: The Anthology.

Now, I buy the first version of the CD and any late release tracks from iTunes.

I don’t really get buying multiples of the same album (24/28 of these variants have the exact same playlist) but I see some fans ardently collecting them!

Of course no one ‘has’ to buy them - noone’s suggested that.

The question is why has she done it and what does it say about her?

Are her fan base young and naive? Shes in her 30s most of her fans are surely adults

Wow that's a bit mad, I didn't know she had done that. The album really isn't good enough to buy 28 times!

People don’t have to buy it.

isn't it kids who are doing all the streaming? Do they buy this stuff?

I don't know how streaming works
But DH complained about Rolling Stones doing 40 versions and Depeche Mode as well it's mad

my parents sold their vinyl a few years ago and I think they should have waited because there seems to be a lot more collectors now

I don’t know about the UK charts but in America Billboard changed the rules earlier this year because so many artists were releasing multiple variants. I don’t know how the data is collected or how this is policed/monitored, but basically if you buy all 28 variants of her albums, it doesn’t count as 28 sales for chart purposes. I think the cap per customer is 4.

We're surprised that this woman is happy to exploit her young and naïve fanbase now? She's been doing the same sort of thing for years with strategic album dropping, she was just too obviously greedy on this occasion evidently.

I really like Taylor swift but I thought the same. I don’t understand why she does this to such an extent. She doesn’t need the money. There is a ridiculous level of merchandise.

I hope a lot of it is secretly funding charitable causes rather than adding to her billions. She seems a decent person so I’d like to hope it’s that.