base talk ATRL Decides: Are Variants Embarrassing or Not?

[PoisonedIvy]

With all of the hullabaloo this week, it's time we finally bury the hatchet and stop antagonizing the practices of artists & their teams/labels. Variants or other marketing tactics designed to push consumption of an album are NOT embarrassing, they never have been. But everyone has consistently attacked each other over them for years (with Taylor bearing the brunt of the lion's share if you ask me, but others get unfairly whacked far too often as well).
 

So vote away: Do you find the variants, discounts, bundles and remixes employed by Taylor, Billie, Gaga, Beyonce, Ariana, The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Adele, and so many others to be embarrassing? Or can we all finally admit they're just doing their job and it's nothing to be ashamed of or ridiculed? 

Edited May 23 by PoisonedIvy

[Timber]

I find it most embarrassing for the people who buy them.

[idkwiam]

These artists should care more about the quality of the albums instead of releasing so many versions

[WitnessOblivia]

I don't find it embarrassing if they actually give us cool alternative covers or exclusive songs attached to one variant. 

But a million versions with little to no changes, that's a bit embarrassing. It depends on the extra content they give us with it. 

[dawnettakins]

Discounts and remixes are one thing, but the cheap cash grab tactics by a certain artist with endless "editions" that have "exclusive" tracks only gatekeep and incentives blind consumption for the sake of egotistical desperation and greed and just hollow "artistry".

Edited May 23 by dawnettakins

[PoisonedIvy]

6 minutes ago, Timber said:

I find it most embarrassing for the people who buy them.

Did you find it embarrassing over the course of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s when variant vinyls were introduced and popularized by consumers of previous generations?

[PoisonedIvy]

3 minutes ago, dawnettakins said:

Discounts and remixes are one thing, but the cheap cash grab tactics by a certain artist with endless "editions" that have "exclusive" tracks only gatekeep and incentives blind consumption for the sake of egotistical desperation and greed and just hollow "artistry".

Don't talk about Olivia like that please, what she did was groundbreaking.

 

no but in all seriousness, different variants with different track lists were also employed by Gaga, Britney, Carly Rae Jepsen, and other 00s-10s pop stars in the past with their Japan Exclusives, Best Buy Exclusives, Target Exclusives, etc. 

[Timber]

2 minutes ago, PoisonedIvy said:

Did you find it embarrassing over the course of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s when variant vinyls were introduced and popularized by consumers of previous generations?

yes

[PoisonedIvy]

6 minutes ago, idkwiam said:

These artists should care more about the quality of the albums instead of releasing so many versions

So, the artists do focus on the quality. Often, it's the label's marketing department that comes up with variant pushes. I trust Beyonce, Taylor, Billie, etc to deliver me quality albums, and I also recognize their labels will offer me options, as a consumer.
 

Since I'm fiscally responsible, I choose the version (or 2) that I want. I never personally buy more than 2 or 3 copies (I have 2 of future nostalgia, 2 for thank u next, etc.) and I never assume an artist focusing on variants is somehow not focused on quality control. 

[PoisonedIvy]

1 minute ago, Timber said:

yes

Then it sounds like you should boycott a lot of the record sales of artists like The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Pink Floyd,  etc. that benefitted from vinyl variants & repressings over the years!

[Vixen Eyes]

i like it for the option to choose your fav looking one. i will only buy one copy if at all.

unless its Kesha, i will happily empty my bank account for her

[toxicgenie]

Only variants that have exclusive or bonus tracks are embarrassing. 

 

Different vinyl colors or alternate covers are fine so fans can pick their favorite. Remixes or speeded-up/slowed-down albums are fine too.

Edited May 23 by toxicgenie

[Kern]

17 minutes ago, dawnettakins said:

Discounts and remixes are one thing, but the cheap cash grab tactics by a certain artist with endless "editions" that have "exclusive" tracks only gatekeep and incentives blind consumption for the sake of egotistical desperation and greed and just hollow "artistry".

I think only Olivia and Taylor did this so far and they both suck for this

 

Variants with different covers is something I could not care less about because it's just a cover art. But 4 deluxe versions is too much

Edited May 23 by Kern

[tost1]

Only when Taylor Swift releases them! 

[Mr. Blue_Shirt]

I need y'all to wrap this up by Friday morning i'm so serious

 

[Bartender]

Honestly it's getting a little tiring, the exclusive tracks thing is taking it too far which is why Taylor got backlash in the first place, and yeah the alt covers not so much. I hope Billboard makes some rule about it.

[glitch]

Variants where it's the same album with different covers? No, I like having the choice. Mass buying all of the variants is mental illness and completely on the fans that do it.

 

Now if each variant has a different exclusive track, that bothers me, because the artist knows exactly what they're doing.

[PoisonedIvy]

3 minutes ago, Bartender said:

Honestly it's getting a little tiring, the exclusive tracks thing is taking it too far which is why Taylor got backlash in the first place, and yeah the alt covers not so much. I hope Billboard makes some rule about it.

People always say what Taylor does is taking it too far. The 4 variants of Midnights building a clock peeves everyone off too, despite none of those having exclusive tracks.

 

Personally I think the real issue people have is they don't like how well Taylor sells, but they'll get angry and bark at me that "not everyone cares about charts as much as you Swifties do!!!!1!" if I say that. When the reality is, if they didn't care about the charts & sales, they also wouldn't care what Taylor does in relation to them.  
 

 

[Taylor fanboy]

Variants keep corporate and its employees profiting and paid.

 

For the fans, they pick the one they like and move on.

 

It's not that serious.

[XtinaUnderwood]

Embarrassing. I am not about to buy multiple copies of rich people's music. I only "buy" music on streaming anyway. 

[Cloröx]

Yes if you can't sell them much 

[PoisonedIvy]

Just now, glitch said:

Variants where it's the same album with different covers? No, I like having the choice. Mass buying all of the variants is mental illness and completely on the fans that do it.

 

Now if each variant has a different exclusive track, that bothers me, because the artist knows exactly what they're doing.

I don't really think it's fair to call the purchase of all variants "mental illness." There are collectors that have hundreds of records from The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, etc because collection is just a facet of human existence. Villainizing the hobbies of music enthusiasts is a little mean spirited when their actions are harming no one. 

[PoisonedIvy]

1 minute ago, XtinaUnderwood said:

Embarrassing. I am not about to buy multiple copies of rich people's music. I only "buy" music on streaming anyway. 

You realize "poor" people release variants too, right? Indie artists literally survive off of physical media sales at times.  

[Gladiator]

I am more in the middle. I think they are a smart business decision to drive more profits, but I generally ignore them.

[PoisonedIvy]

Just now, Gladiator said:

I am more in the middle. I think they are a smart business decision to drive more profits, but I generally ignore them.

This is the natural equilibrium that I wish everyone could achieve. It's pretty much where I stand