Taylor Swift fans are 'fed up' with her 'capitalist' approach to music

It's been less than one week since Taylor Swift dropped her 12th album, The Life of a Showgirl, and already, we've had six alternative versions released.

From limited-edition album covers, to unplugged renditions of some of the album's biggest tracks, it would appear that the 35-year-old is willing to stop at nothing to make it a success (and why shouldn't she?)

The 3 October release boasted 12 tracks produced by Max Martin and Shellback, co-collaborators on 1989 and Red, and the artist is now slowly rolling out 'alternative' versions of some of the fan-favourites.

However, the move is drawing criticism, with some eagle-eyed fans claiming that capitalism is now centre stage in her strategy, rather than the music itself.

"Another ‘special version’ for 24 hours only? This isn’t nostalgia or artistry it’s calculated scarcity. At this point, Taylor’s releases feel more like stock drops than music", one person commented upon the release of The Life of a Showgirl (DELUXE Alone In My Tower Acoustic Version).

"I like Taylor swift but people don’t need 12 variant album covers. I know nobody is making you buy them, but some little girl is forcing her parents to. If any other artist did this y’all would be attacking them..." another penned under the announcement.

A third chimed in: "Every time I think she’s done squeezing the same songs, she finds a new ‘limited CD’ angle. Marketing genius or just exhausting at this point? Imagine releasing 4 versions of the same songs and calling it ‘artistic’ capitalism has never sounded so acoustic."

Taylor Swift

A fourth fan wrote back: "I love you but girl this is way too much people don’t have the money right now to be buying your album multiple times but you know they will anyways, what about doing free drops to whoever already bought the album instead."

There's an argument to be made in Swift's favour that had she been a man, her strategy dubbed "calculated" would've been viewed as "smart" - and she's certainly not the first to do it, with Sabrina Carpenter's Man's Best Friend and Cardi B's Am I The Drama? among others who have followed Swift's long-used marketing move this year alone.

But, as someone who not only boasts a wealth of young, arguably more impressionable fans, and who already has billionaire status under their belt, it begs the question - where do we draw the line?

It's no secret that the pressure is on for artists across the board thanks to streaming; a cheaper, commitment-free version of listening to our favourite songs, overshadowing the days of going out to buy albums, and it appears artists now feel like they should appeal to the masses, rather than their select fanbase.

Other industries, like comics, have also come under the same criticism for attempting to keep up with the demand for more stories, but, it comes at a time where consumers are turning their noses up at overconsumption. By appealing to everyone, sometimes, artists are appealing to no one; even leaving sour tastes in the mouths of fans, who are in it for the love of the music rather than the collectible element.

Ultimately, music is about connection, and when real fans value authenticity over abundance, albums shouldn't be about creating a never-ending merch drop, but rather, reminding people why they chose to tune in in the first place.

Why not read...

• Every song from The Life Of A Showgirl, ranked by a Taylor Swift super fan
• Is Taylor Swift’s ‘Actually Romantic’ really about Charli XCX? Rumoured feud explained

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