Taylor Swift, pop princess or greedy 'capitalist queen'?

With over 3.5 million copies sold in 7 days, Taylor Swift not only broke all-time sales records but also redefined how to 'make money' in the era of music commercialization.

Promotional image for Taylor Swift's 12th studio album - Photo: Taylor Swift Productions

When The Life of a Showgirl was released, Taylor Swift marked an unprecedented milestone in music history: the album sold more than 3.5 million copies in one week, far surpassing the record of 3.38 million copies that Adele set in 2015 with the album 25 .

This is not only a triumph of a top artist but also a triumph of bold merchandising strategy - where the line between art and commerce is pushed to the extreme.

Tycoon Taylor Swift

If Adele relied on the "explosive" single Hello and the late-period CD market, Taylor Swift took advantage of the saturation of the streaming era to turn The Life of a Showgirl into a consumer phenomenon thanks to many tricks to sell records.

According to analysis by The Atlantic, while Spotify and digital platforms caused traditional album sales to decline, Taylor Swift cleverly turned the situation around - turning album purchases into an act of "loyalty" for fans.

These are just 4 of the total 11 CD versions and 8 vinyl versions of the album The Life of A Showgirl that Taylor Swift has put on sale - Photo: Taylor Swift Productions

The album was released in over 30 different editions, each with its own design, disc color, signature, and even exclusive accessories.

For example, at certain retailers, fans can only purchase The Crowd Is Your King Edition on a $34.99 metallic pink vinyl.

Some other versions come with a cardigan, a signed photo, or a bonus song. All are released in batches, with a countdown timer on the official website, forcing fans to "watch the clock" to hunt for the goods.

This tactic is familiar in e-commerce - the "flash sale" style that platforms like Shopee or Amazon often use.

The price of huge success is that loyal fans gradually lose faith in their idols when the music quality is not groundbreaking but is also "ripped off" by Taylor Swift's own team - Photo: FBNV

But this time, Taylor Swift applies it to music. This method is especially effective when young people are haunted by FOMO (Fear of missing out).

The result: millions of fans are "manipulated", not only into listening to the music but also into buying the same album over and over again like a limited edition collectible.

Many people call Taylor Swift "capitalist queen" because her money-making strategy is no different from that of "sharks", somewhat greedy and reckless.

Even the loyal fan community, who have considered her an idol for many years, expressed their discontent.

On social media, many "Swifties" admitted feeling "both happy and tired" because they had to buy so many versions to collect the full set, while others considered it a way to show their love for their idols.

Taylor Swift Ecosystem

Despite the controversy, the commercial impact is undeniable. According to the Economic Times , Taylor Swift's net worth surpassed $2 billion in October 2025, up nearly six times from 2020.

The Life of a Showgirl album sold 2.7 million copies on its first day of release, while the accompanying musical film grossed $34 million at the US box office.

The Life of a Showgirl is considered a neat album of 12 songs produced by the duo Max Martin and Shellback - the people behind many of Taylor Swift's hits - Photo: FBNV

The Eras Tour also grossed a record $4.1 billion, becoming the most successful music tour of all time.

Analysts say Taylor Swift has turned her products into a closed ecosystem: music, movies, souvenirs, concert tickets - all blended together, creating a comprehensive experience of the Taylor Swift brand.

That helps her not only overcome sales limits but also maintain influence in an increasingly fragmented market.

Taylor Swift - The Fate of Ophelia, a hit from the album The Life of a Showgirl with nearly 90 million views

Although not considered a breakthrough compared to Folklore or Midnights , this album still has its own "magic" of the idol, enough to keep listeners and maintain streaming records.

Many critics commented: The Life of a Showgirl is a testament to the "Taylor Swift era", where artists become living brands, and each release is a complete marketing campaign, planned so carefully that every move of the idol has a promotional purpose, contributing to building this million-dollar brand.

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To Cuong

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/taylor-swift-cong-chua-nhac-pop-hay-nu-hoang-tu-ban-tham-lam-20251014100331267.htm