Taylor Swift is releasing her ninth variant of her new album “The Life of a Showgirl,” leaving fans frustrated over the numerous versions available. The 12th era’s rollout continues, with each new variant featuring unique photos, poems, and aesthetics.
A countdown on Swift’s website revealed the latest drop, which included a limited CD release with acoustic versions of songs from her “The Fate of Ophelia” music video. However, fans took to social media to express their disappointment, calling out the new variants as a potential cash grab.
Some fans have expressed frustration over having to buy multiple copies of the same album, with one fan stating that they can only play one version. Others have called for Swift to release all the songs on one CD or to go back to her previous format of acoustic or deluxe CDs.
Swift’s marketing team has maintained that each version purchased counts towards physical music sales, which contributes to her record-breaking sales. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has congratulated Swift on becoming the first and only female artist to surpass 100 million RIAA Certified Album Units.
The album is setting streaming records, with Apple Music naming it the platform’s biggest album of 2025 by first-day streams worldwide. Lead single “The Fate of Ophelia” broke the record for most first-day streams of any song on Spotify.
Source: https://eu.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/10/04/taylor-swift-showgirl-variant-fans-push-back/86527542007