Gen Z Can’t Get Enough Of Taylor Swift’s Retro Vinyl & Cassettes

Taylor Swift has become the queen of physical media, and her fans can’t get enough. The newly engaged pop icon has been delivering album variants for most of her career, from her Lover deluxe diaries to her eight different folklore covers.

Despite most physical media being a thing of the past, the “All Too Well” singer has found a way to make it fun again. Her recent releases have especially resonated with younger audiences.

Vinyls and cassettes have been a dying medium since CDs overtook society, peaking in the 90s and 2000s. Soon, streaming would replace CDs, and physical media has been on the decline since. However, Taylor Swift has put in the effort to revive the media forms that might otherwise have gone extinct.

Vinyls made a comeback in the late 2000s and early 2010s, appearing in stores like Urban Outfitters as a hip way to listen to music. The store also carries cassettes, but no one has made either option as popular in modern times as the pop star. Swift’s endless variants have gained some criticism as some find them over the top.

Swift has been accused of hyperconsumerism, which can be detrimental to the environment. Others felt as though she was pressuring her fans to spend endless amounts of money on her work by releasing so much media, despite already being a billionaire. However, Swift’s efforts have actually been very helpful in the past.

A Georgia-based independent record store called Vertigo Vinyl confessed on X (formerly Twitter) that Taylor Swift’s record sales pay the store’s yearly rent. The account also revealed how much they made off some of Swift’s previous releases.

“Last year, just Reputation and TTPD alone generated $128,000 in sales for us,” the account claimed. If it weren’t for Swift and other pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter, a lot of vinyl stores may not have been able to stay open.

Swift is able to accomplish such high vinyl and cassette sales in the technology-dominated age through some creative marketing; she’s a master at getting her fans excited with limited-edition vinyl, cassette, and CD collections. For The Life Of A Showgirl, Swift even included exclusive jewelry and keychains with some CD variants.

These new album variants aren’t just music, they’re collectibles. Each features unique artwork and discs in bold colors and patterns. In an era dominated by streaming, physical media feels exciting again. Much like the vinyl boom of the 2000s, the vintage aesthetic makes these editions impossible for fans to resist.

Beyond esthetics, nostalgia fuels the demand. Owning a tangible piece of Taylor Swift’s work feels special in a way streaming never will. It’s why her Gen Z fans are hooked, and why every Swiftie wants every version.

Date of Birth

December 13, 1989

Active

Yes

Source: Vertigo Vinyl/X