Call it a move to ride the hype of an already popular album or a way to keep a chart position for as long as possible, but variant fatigue is becoming a real issue in the music industry. Artists are now putting out numerous versions of their albums, often with no significant changes, and it has become a norm. Taylor Swift is one of the big names leading this trend. Swift often puts out different editions of her music, as can be seen in the case of her latest album, 'The Tortured Poets Department'. 

While sometimes Swift adds an extra song, more often she just changes the packaging or vinyl color and calls it a variant. Fans, wearing their Swift-tinted glasses, however, keep buying them anyway. Recently, major label executives criticized artists for releasing digital variants that offer no new tracks, only different artwork or digital signatures. "I think it’s manipulative," said one major-label A&R, according to Billboard.

The executives pointed out the crazy amount of time and energy being wasted on stuff like this instead of focusing on signing great artists and making good music. They also mentioned the obsession artists have with topping the charts, which they see as driving the recent surge in album variants, calling it "obnoxious". This has given fans plenty of reasons to criticize Taylor Swift and her chart domination tactics.

Fans Feel Practically “tortured” as Taylor Swift Releases More ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Variants

Fans took to social media, attacking Taylor Swift after they figured out who the executives were talking about, in their opinion, of course. 

This is not the first time variant flooding has been called out. Earlier this year, Billie Eilish also spoke about its negative impact, but Swifties saw it as a jab at the 'Cruel Summer' singer. And now the label executives’ comments are also interpreted as a dig at Swift, probably since she is currently one of the biggest proponents of this practice. "They basically said TAYLOR SWIFT," said a fan. 

Many fans have also called out Nicki Minaj along with Taylor Swift.

If there is exclusive music in these variant releases, even the executives agreed that it could be a smart move and a fun way to engage with fans. However, if it is just a change in the track list or a new album cover, it can come off as chart manipulation. And it still remains to be seen whether this practice will continue or if it will eventually phase out in the industry.

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What do you think about the label executives’ concerns about album variants? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!