Charleston, South Carolina. It has been a long time coming for Taylor Swift fans. After Swift’s 12th studio album, Life of a Show Girl, was released on Friday, fans went to local theaters for release parties featuring the premiere of her new song video this weekend.
Fans hosted midnight album release parties to celebrate her new album’s release. This weekend, fans blasted her music from their vehicle speakers, made friendship bracelets, and packed movie theaters to see it brought to life on screen.
Sweeter than Fiction, a bookstore on King Street that offers all things Taylor Swift, is celebrating the album’s arrival all month.
On Thursday, they staged an album release party at midnight. On Saturday, they reserved the Terrace Theater for a showing of “The Fate of Ophelia.” On October 17th, you can paint a Taylor Swift record with them as part of Swift’s massive marketing campaign, which reaches thousands of admirers.
“One of her greatest strengths is that almost anyone can relate to her music,” said Callie Lamb, owner of Sweeter than Fiction. “Even if it’s not about the situation you think she’s talking about, you can still relate it to your life in some way, and I believe that’s one of her most effective marketing strategies.” With ‘Life of a Showgirl,’ the branding is so overt, and you see all these large corporations jumping on it as well; it’s fantastic that she has a global influence with everything she does.”
Some admirers believe Taylor Swift’s greatest impact is the community she brings together, particularly in Charleston.
“She released signed CDs the other day, I had a customer come in here and go I’m going to wait here I’m in queue but at least I know you’re in the queue too,” says Lamb. “I’m like yep we’ll wait it out together, so it’s been good it’s been great building a community that loves all the same things we all love.”
