Is Taylor Swift participating in Record Store Day 2024? What to know about 'Tortured Poets'
You may be wondering what plans Taylor Swift has for Record Store Day 2024.
The annual celebration of the independent record store as a cultural hub is on Saturday, April 20, a day after the much-anticipated release of “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s new album.
Last year on Record Store Day, Swift released a limited-edition vinyl LP of the soundtrack to “Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions,” a 2020 documentary directed and produced by Swift that featured live performances of all the songs on “Folklore.”
That was a really good album.
In 2022, Swift drew a boatload of attention to the RSD celebration by serving as Global Record Store Day Ambassador.
Record Store Day shared that news in a tweet, thanking Swift "for putting on the sash" and "helping us celebrate the culture of the independent record store around the world."
Swift issued a statement saying, "The places where we go to browse and explore and discover music new and old have always been sacred to me. Record stores are so important because they help to perpetuate and foster music-loving as a passion. They create settings for live events. They employ people who adore music thoroughly and purely."
Watching vinyl sales grow in the past few years has "been a true joy for me," she added. "And we, the artists, have the fans to thank for this pleasant surprise. Happy Record Store Day, everyone!”
Record Store Day 2024: How independent stores are celebrating RSD in metro Phoenix
Is Taylor Swift participating in Record Store Day 2024?
As of Thursday, April 18, there are no Swift titles on the Record Store Day website, which has a full list of official RSD releases.
Even if you’re Taylor Swift, it seems unlikely you could pull off a surprise release at this late hour, especially when you’re focused on releasing your new album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” on Record Store Eve.
However, if you don’t think that release is driving people to their local independent record store this weekend, then you don’t know much about Swifties.
What is Taylor Swift releasing for Record Store Day weekend?
"The Tortured Poets Department" album will be released on Friday, April 19, in five different vinyl editions. Four of those include different bonus tracks (“The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog”). The fifth is "The Manuscript" edition on clear vinyl.
None of those is an official RSD release. You can find them at your local independent record store and all the usual places you buy or stream music.
Reach the reporter at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @EdMasley.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: What is Taylor Swift releasing for Record Store Day 2024?