This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.



Taylor Swift's latest chart-dominating album "The Life of a Showgirl" has taken the world by storm - and sparked an equally loud debate over marketing that feels all too familiar to many K-pop observers.

Beyond its musical composition and critical reception, much of the conversation online centers on Swift's decision to release more than 30 variants of the album, both physical and digital.

The move has fueled debates over whether the pop superstar is "exploiting her fans" to maximize sales figures with aggressive tactics, including creating a sense of urgency with limited-time editions and collectible exclusives.



Yet it's hardly a new territory for Swift, who released nine vinyl variants for her 2020 album "folkore" and over 20 editions of the "Midnights" album back in 2022, including four CD variants and four vinyl variants, as well as a Target edition with exclusive tracks. "The Tortured Poets Department" (2024) also came in more than 30 variants, including four "Collector's Edition Deluxe" versions, each with different collectibles and exclusive bonus tracks.

And for many K-pop fans, this kind of "superfan" strategy - defined by its exclusivity, variants and random collectibles - feels like déjà vu.

The K-pop model, proven and profitable

K-pop has long been evolving into an art of selling not just music but fandom identity and a feeling of emotional connection with artists. Musicians usually release multiple versions of the same album, each with unique covers, photo books and random goodies featuring individual members - which devoted fans ardently purchase to enjoy personally, complete their collections, boost their favorite acts' charting performance or win a chance to meet them in person.

BTS, for example, had four standard versions of its 2017 "Love Yourself: Her" album, namely "L," "O," "V," and "E," and also four versions for its "Love Yourself: Tear" (2018) which came in "Y," "O," "U," and "R" variants, all with different cover art and photo booklets. And the following "Love Yourself: Answer" (2018) had, of course, "S," "E," "L," and "F" versions. The cover art for all versions of the albums in the trilogy creates a complete work of art when put together.



Swift took a similar approach with her "Midnights" LPs, releasing four colored vinyl variants that form clock-inspired artwork when put together.

Of course, well before the global rise of K-pop, many pop stars, including Swift, have long been adopting a similar marketing strategy of releasing multiple album variants with collectible goods.

However, it seems that things have escalated significantly over the past half-decade, especially since the start of the 2020s, where K-pop's model of chart dominance through hyper-collectible physical sales driven by loyal "superfans" - who are extremely devoted and emotionally invested with strong purchasing power - proved its global effectiveness.



Last year, albums from Enhypen, Seventeen and Stray Kids ranked among the top 20 best sellers of the year as compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI, alongside Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter and SZA. BTS topped the annual list in 2020 and 2021, before Taylor Swift reclaimed the top spot in 2022 and 2023.

At the same time, the average number of distinct physical variants per Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 albums chart jumped from 3.3 in 2019 to 8.9 in 2023, according to Luminate.



Is pop becoming K-popified?

K-pop's marketing playbook extends well beyond album variants, built on an entire fan economy defined by its active fan engagement, collectibles and exclusivity.

And it seems Western artists are increasingly adopting some of the most notable elements of K-pop culture.

Rapper Doechii recently offered an official lightstick as part of her concert merchandise for her "Live from the Swamp" tour. Lightsticks are not just souvenirs in K-pop; they serve as an ide...