2 days Ago By [email protected] (Fionnuala Boyle)
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info It has been eight months since Taylor Swift smashed records at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium .
The international megastar performed three dates in the capital in June 2024 in what was the highest-grossing tour of all time. The singer-songwriter broke attendance records at the famous venue and fans even made the Earth shake, with monitoring stations detecting seismic activity from 6km (3.73 miles) away.
Now, Swifties are making more groundbreaking moves by potentially changing the way they collect their favourite artist's music in response to climate change. New research from the University of Glasgow reveals that one in four fans of the 22 songstress are willing to consider plastic-free alternatives to traditional vinyl records. The majority of vinyl records are manufactured from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), widely considered to be among the most environmentally damaging plastics.
"What we’re seeing is a fascinating shift in how younger fans interact with vinyl records ," said Professor Matt Brennan, Professor of Popular Music at University of Glasgow. "The survey findings suggest that for many Taylor Swift fans, vinyl may be less about the listening experience - like playing a record on a turntable - and more about the tangible connection to their favourite artist." One in four of Taylor Swift fans who took part in the study say they are open to the idea of purchasing a 12-inch “sleeve-only and download code” version of the album in order to reduce plastic materials .
The top three Taylor Swift albums owned by respondents were: Dr Graeme Hunt, Research Association in the James Watt School of Engineering, said: “We certainly don’t see a 12-inch ‘sleeve-only and download code’ album release as a one-size-fits-all solution, and we also know that music is a relatively low-emitting industry compared to other sectors, such as energy, transport, food, and manufacturing. “However, the live and recorded music industries often rely on those high-emitting sectors and infrastructure in order to do business, and we’d like to see music culture influence high-emitting sectors to reduce their footprint where possible, including accelerating a transition to renewable materials.” The research also revealed that more than half of fans own multiple copies of the same Taylor Swift album on vinyl, with some super fans possessing up to eight copies of a single album.
"We’re interested in music culture’s symbolic and storytelling power, and the power of artists to direct attention and hold space for imagining alternative ways of being in the world," Professor Brennan added. “We’re also keen to imagine what a post-fossil fuel future looks and sounds like, and what role music culture can play in encouraging and accelerating this transition." Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
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