With foot traffic down and Target’s stock still slumping, Taylor Swift’s new album release might be the shot in the arm the retailer needs.
Target may be in the crosshairs of the culture wars, but the brand’s relationship with Taylor Swift still stands in 2025. The release of “The Life of a Showgirl” again brings a suite of special editions to Target as exclusives, luring Swifties to spread their cash around to pick up their favorite variants. But between the retailer’s faltering reputation and a smorgasbord of album options, will Swifties take their business elsewhere?
Target’s very bad 2025
In January, Target announced that it would abandon longstanding initiatives tied to diversity, equity and inclusion and stop participating in external surveys focused on diversity, like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index. The news came days after the White House called for a federal ban on DEI programs.
In March, Atlanta pastor Rev. Jamal Bryant called for a “Target Fast” to punish the company for turning its back on Black-owned businesses and Black consumers. “When Target broke its promises to our community — pledges made after the murder of George Floyd — we acted,” Bryant wrote on the TargetFast website. “Our response was not rooted in cancel culture, but in moral clarity.”
When Target didn’t respond, what began as a limited 40-day boycott extended indefinitely, adding a call for the resignation of Target’s CEO. Boycotts don’t always end up hurting a company’s bottom line, but Target has been feeling the pain well into 2025. Target’s DEI retreat in 2025 compounded its previous decision to mute its Pride Month collection, which the company had sold for years. That decision, prompted by a conservative outcry backed by Republican lawmakers, alienated many LGBTQ customers who no longer consider the retailer a top choice when they shop.
Target’s problems didn’t begin this year – the company’s share price has slumped from its pandemic peaks and trended downward since. But the brand’s carefree, youthful image has definitely taken a hit from the extended boycott and foot traffic remains down, even through the normally busy back-to-school season. Target’s CEO, who has led the company for more than a decade – including through its now-distant boom times – will depart at the beginning of next year.
The Life of a Showgirl’s many faces
The album, released at midnight on October 3, is available as a special limited run vinyl record at Target. The “first and only pressing” of the “The Life of a Showgirl: The Crowd Is Your King” edition is available at the retailer for $34.99. The limited edition Target version comes in pearlescent pink and light yellow (“summertime spritz pink shimmer,” for Swifties keeping track). The record is packed with a collectible double sided poster, new photos and “a poem written by Taylor herself.”
Swifties that find themselves bereft of a record player can opt instead for three Target exclusive CD versions of the album (“It’s Beautiful,” “It’s Frightening” and “It’s Rapturous”) each with a special poster and unique album art for $14.99.
Image via Target
“At Target, every album release is a chance to celebrate with our guests,” Target’s Senior Vice President of Merchandising Cassandra Jones said in the company’s pre-sale announcement. “Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is already the year’s biggest music moment, and we’re giving fans even more reasons to get excited. From exclusive vinyl and CD editions available only at Target to midnight releases and curated music experiences in our stores, we’re proud to be a destination where fans can discover, connect and take home something truly special.”
Target isn’t the only option for Swift fans hunting for special vinyl, but it might be the only choice left for fans who missed the pre-order windows. Dyed-in-the-wool Swifties likely already pre-ordered the red or white variants of the “Tiny Bubbles in Champagne Vinyl Collection” directly or the “lovely bouquet golden vinyl” or “lakeside beach blue sparkle vinyl” variants, which sold out quickly through Swift’s online store. “The Life of a Showgirl: The Shiny Bug Vinyl Collection” featuring special “violet shimmer marbled vinyl” and “wintergreen and onyx marbled vinyl” similarly sold out quickly, and is naturally all over resale websites at marked up prices.
Taylor Swift speaks out
Swift has broken her historical reluctance to wade into political and cultural issues in recent years. She unequivocally denounced President Trump in his first term for “stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism” during the protests over the murder of George Floyd, throwing the weight of her Swiftieverse behind voting him out of office. In late 2024, she backed Kamala Harris in the vice president’s last minute run, encouraging her fans to register to vote and make their own informed choices.
“I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” Swift wrote in an Instagram post. “I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades.” Swift signed off as a “childless cat lady,” a dig at JD Vance.
While Swift’s politics don’t square with Target’s retreat on LGBTQ and racial justice issues, her deal with the company is nothing new. Swift has been selling exclusives through Target since at least 2008, when the retailer offered a unique collectible poster version of her album “Fearless.” For “The Death of a Showgirl,” Swift even devoted some of her prime Instagram real estate to a Target ad that depicts the star directing an awkward version of herself on set, tossing glitter at a giant sparkly pink vinyl record while almost falling over.
Swift isn’t alone: Artists including Billie Eilish and Kendrick Lamar have promoted their own Target vinyl exclusives since the cultural fallout around the company began. Olivia Rodrigo, boygenius, Harry Styles, Lana Del Ray and many other musicians have sold their own unique vinyl exclusives through the retailer in recent years.
Last year, Target carried an exclusive “phantom” clear vinyl pressing of Swift’s release, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which the company said broke its record for the largest music pre-order in its history. Over the years, Target has offered at least 13 unique versions of Taylor Swift’s albums, counting “The Life of a Showgirl.” While Swift’s ongoing Target deal might not sit well with many Swifties given the company’s recent direction, only time and sales numbers will tell if the allure of that sparkly, pink record proves too much to resist.