Taylor Swift is releasing a new album in the next 24 hours, possibly two, which will bring her total releases to nine albums in the past five years.
Her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets' Department, is dropping on Friday, giving Swift's fans yet another reason to get excited—and spend more money on the star.
Since 2019, Swift fans have forked out on four original studio albums (Lover, Folklore, Evermore, Midnights) and also four re-recorded albums known as Taylor's Version (Fearless, Red, Speak Now and 1989). Swift re-recorded those albums because manager and record label owner Scooter Braun sold the rights to her music without her knowledge.
But aside from spending money on albums, being a Swiftie—a Swift megafan—is no cheap venture.
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Millions of fans all over the world have forked out big bucks to attend her The Eras World Tour, whose tickets in the U.S. ranged started at $49 to $499 (plus fees), as per StyleCaster. But most fans had to resort to grabbing their tickets on resale sites such as StubHub, where the average cost was $1,089 per CNBC, but they went for up to $11,000, and even more.
It's not just the cost of the ticket to the tour that could break the bank. There's also travel, food, shopping, accommodation and Eras merchandise to take into consideration. This saw Swifties spend an additional $1,300 on average in local economies where they were attending the show, resulting in the Eras tour contributing $6 billion to the U.S. economy in 2023.
As if going to the tour wasn't enough, Swift then released the Eras concert movie exclusively to AMC Theatres and later on streaming service Disney+, but fans in some markets had to pay to rent the film on top of their streaming subscription cost, per CNET.
Tours and general albums are not the only way Swifties can spend their money on their favorite singer. They also have the option of buying limited-edition vinyls of her albums, or other limited-edition merchandise, such as bejewelled bracelets, sweaters, deluxe CDs, duffel bags and even a clock.
For her album Midnights, Swift released four limited vinyl editions that when they placed in a square in the correct order would make a wall clock. However, fans had to dish out an extra $45 for the mechanics to turn them into a functioning clock.
One fan told Fortune she "felt pressure to buy more and more merch each time there is something new, particularly when it's presented as a limited edition."
That pressure comes from the perception that those who spend more money on musicians are perceived as more "dedicated" than others, according to Georgia Carroll, a sociology Ph.D who graduated from the University of Sydney.
"[Fandoms are] hierarchical structures in which fans have their status elevated by participating in certain ways," Carroll wrote in The Conversation. "For Swift fans, these hierarchies are heavily tied to practices of consumption, including the purchasing of concert tickets.
"Within the fandom, fans who travel to shows, attend multiple nights, or have seats near the stage are labelled 'dedicated' and 'committed'... The higher the levels of sacrifice reported, the more someone can project to other members of the fandom just how big a fan they are."
The Real Cost of Being a Swiftie
Not all people will shell out thousands for Swift, but some will spend their life savings to see her show. Either way, we've compiled a list of the average cost to be a Swiftie in the age of the Eras Tour (2022-now).
Eras Tour concert ticket: $1,089 average price.
Eras Tour extra spending (merchandise, food, travel etc): $1,300.
Eras Tour concert film in theaters: $18.19 plus tax.
Disney+ subscription to watch the concert film at home: $13.99 per month.
Music streaming service: $10.99 per month. (Spotify and Apple Music)
The Tortured Poets' Department (TTPD) Vinyl: $34.99
TTPD casette: $19.99
TTPD CD: $12.99
TTPD standard digital album: $11.99
Other album merchandise: Duffel bag ($75), bejeweled bracelet ($35), a $75 duffel bag, and sweaters and T-shirts costing between $65 to $75.
Taylor's Version albums average price: $31.89 (x4).
Midnights vinyl: $26.97
TOTAL: $2,687
The total was calculated with only one piece of album merchandise (t-shirt, $65) and the vinyl copy of TTPD ($34.99).
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Shannon Power is a Greek-Australian reporter, but now calls London home. They have worked as across three continents in print, ... Read more
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