Taylor Swift is bringing back the old-school album launch party – at a Target near you. The retail giant announced that around 500 Target stores will be open at midnight on October 3 for the release of Swift’s highly anticipated new album, The Life of a Showgirl. In an era of instant digital drops, midnight brick-and-mortar sales have become rare, but if anyone can revive the tradition, it’s Swift.
Fans are planning late-night pilgrimages to snag physical copies the minute the album goes on sale. Target’s partnership with Swift includes three exclusive CD editions – dubbed the “It’s Frightening,” “It’s Rapturous” and “It’s Beautiful” versions – each with a collectible poster. The chain has even posted a store locator page so fans can find a participating Target near them. Unlike the classic midnight releases of yesteryear that saw stores close and reopen for the rush, participating Targets will simply stay open late and unveil the album for sale at 12:00 a.m.
Swift’s fandom is no stranger to these retail events. Last year, a Target-exclusive deluxe vinyl of her album The Tortured Poets Department drew huge lines and sold out almost immediately. With The Life of a Showgirl – Swift’s 12th studio album – buzz is through the roof. The pop superstar has described the record as coming from an “infectiously joyful, wild, dramatic” chapter of her life on tour, calling it “the record I’ve been wanting to make for a very long time.” As release night approaches, Swifties are gearing up to turn Target’s aisles into the ultimate album release party.
