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

[defrazzled]

I looked and couldn't find a thread on this, I wondered what mums of Taylor Swift fans thought. It seems really exploitative to me. DH has thousands of vinyl records but 28 versions of one album? All slightly different so you "gotta catch them all".

https://archive.ph/Oj0vC
https://consequence.net/2025/10/taylor-swift-the-life-of-a-showgirl-album-variants/

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

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 all about the money.

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.

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

How does this block female artists rather than male?

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

She blocked Charli XCX's album Brat from hitting no1 by announcing the release of 6 deluxe editions of TTPD, she did it to Billie Eilish too.

Wanted to add she announced the release of those albums at 7pm when it looked like Brat might take the no1 spot from her.

TTPD staying at number 1 gave her her longest stretch of being at number 1 for any album. I don’t think anyone would claim she didn’t want to stay number 1, my issue was with your claim she specifically was attacking female artists, when I think she’d have done that to anyone who was looking like they might have taken the spot.
I think you can criticise that, I just don’t think you can criticise it from a “isn’t she a bitch who hates other women” point of view.

Meh, it's not great but nobody has to buy multiple versions, or buy multiple versions for their kids. DD bought the very first version (which still hasn't arrived) and that was it.

I really don't understand why this surprises anyone it's been going on for decades, long before Taylor Swift was even born. It seems odd to highlight it in regards to Taylor Swift when it's been happening for so long.

I think it’s a cynical way to grab the first week sales record, and I don’t like the practice but I don’t think it’s exploitative. No one is being forced or coerced into buying multiple versions.

There’s a quote from her from years ago where she said “if a man does something, it’s strategic. If a woman does it, it’s manipulative”.

She wasn't wrong. I've genuinely never seen people comment on half the things someone like Taylor Swift gets criticism for despite the fact plenty of men have done exactly the same stuff.

It's certainly a very interesting insight into the minds of those who only seem to notice when a women does it.

I like Taylor Swift. I like her music and I'm glad my teenage daughter likes her. A lot of her songs are about valuing yourself and being powerful (and also killing bad men and dumping them in lakes) and I think it's a good message for teenage girls to listen to.

I do have an issue with the merchandising strategy because it feels exploitative. Things go on sale with no prior notice and for a short period of time and it does give a sense of panic - it creates a lot of pressure. If you knew what was coming and all the prices and could save and prioritise it would be different.

The ridiculous prices and multiple versions aren't restricted to Taylor Swift. I think the merch may be more of a thing for Swifties than some other fans - having the cardigans etc. And I would really like it if she chose to encourage her fans to to things differently.

Fuck sake. Do some research. Most artists do this: Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé. Understand the industry before you try to drag another woman down again for being successful.

She receives so much criticism. It’s appalling.

No; it’s not exploitative. People buy what they want. They can buy 1, or of them all.

We are big “swifties”…dd15 is a massive fan. We preordered a CD and vinyl and I’ve bought her another vinyl for Xmas and hidden it away. She also used her saved pocket money to buy a cardigan. It all brings her so much joy.

If dd wasn’t a fan I wouldn’t buy any of it - I would just listen on Amazon music and look out for concert tickets.

Everyone is different. And different people will approach things differently. Some adult fans will buy none and just stream her album, others will buy multiple items. Because they want to.

This is her job. Are McDonald’s exploiting us by bringing out different burgers every month? Starbucks?

How is it blocking female artists and not just - outselling them

bear in mind, brat had more variants than TTPD

Billie Eilish criticised other artists for putting out multiple variants then put out 12

They're all doing it. But it’s an issue if one is more successful at it?

ZTT started this in 1984 with the different mixes of Relax and Two Tribes from FGTH to keep those singles at the top, but none of us, including probably ZTT themselves, expected it to get to this extreme. It's profiteering from the fans, pure and simple, in my opinion.

Yeah and it’s really fucking depressing when a forum of women do it.

Heaven forbid a young woman and self-made multi-billionaire wants to continue her success trajectory. No, she’s “greedy” and must be reined in.

Ugh.

No one has to buy them, i am neutral on Taylor Swift but this idea people cannot think for themselves and juat not do something gets old no one needs to buy them all

I had no idea this was a “thing”.

(I am skint so not buying anyone’s records though!)

Honestly, when it gets to that level you can’t blame Taylor Swift for people being fools 🤷‍♀️ It’s no different to the idiots who do things like buy crates of Prime drinks or Labubus or Teslas or whatever else people buy because of hype. If you can’t stop yourself from buying a vinyl record even though you have no turntable, then it’s not a music artist’s fault!

It’s always been a bit of a thing but it’s so many and so common now because of streaming - if you can stream for “free” hardly anybody buys albums, which of course means less money going into the whole music industry

But people collect stuff so they put out a load of variants for that with different covers and all different coloured pressings and also some with bonus features

It’s also to do with charts as well, they count so many streams as a purchase but it’s quite a high number, like it takes lots to equal one purchase and then actual purchases count much more

But there’s rules because some people with more money than sense will try and buy every single variant, so if someone buys all 21 21 pilot variants only the first few count towards the charts

She did specifically block those two artists and there’s a difference between variant’s and versions.
Billie had variants, it was all the same album and album cover with a different coloured vinyl so you’re not going to buy the same album just to get a different coloured vinyl but what Taylor did to block her was release the same album with a different song added or different cover or a voice note added encouraging fans to buy more than one copy, she also held back 100,000 signed albums to ship when Billie released her album so they’d count towards her numbers that week.
Not sure if she did similar to Charli but probably.

You have missed the entire point of manipulation. You think taking advantage of a young dab base’s obsession is not cynical and ethically based?

I guess you tell overweight people to ‘just eat less’ and alcoholics need to ‘just stop drinking’.