Atlanta vinyl shops brace for busy Record Store Day after new Taylor Swift album drop

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Taylor Swift fan or not, the Swiftie surge is here.

Late Thursday night into Friday, the billionaire pop star surprised millions of fans with her new album titled “The Tortured Poets Department,” a secret double album.

All over metro Atlanta, record stores are already getting a big boost from Swift’s latest album release.

This surge in sales comes before Record Store Day on Saturday.

The annual celebration of independent record stores includes special releases, in-store performances and other festivities.

Saoirse Sikora is a regular customer at Criminal Records in Little Five Points.

“I like to come out and see what the exclusive releases are,” she said. “I try and get my hands on as many vinyls as I can.”

The 24-year-old has already collected over vinyl records.

Yet, she’ll be back at her favorite store on Saturday for Record Store Day.

“We live in such an incredibly digital age that there’s something special about getting to hold a physical piece of media,” Sikora said. “See all of the love and artistry put into it.”

Eric Levin has owned Criminal Records for the last 32 years.

He said business was booming on Friday thanks to Swift’s new double album.

“Taylor has brought in so many young customers into this store,” Levin said. “She has very much changed the demographics of what we sell here.”

Other record store owners, such as Jonathan Blanchard, who owns JB’s Record Lounge on the West End, said Record Store Day is his Super Bowl.

“Record Store Day brings an influx of income,” he said. “Triple or quadruple what we sell on a regular day.”

Levin also expects his sales to soar on Saturday.

“Every year has been more successful sales-wise than the prior year,” he said. “This year, we have the most special titles on offer with over 400 on sale.”

Blanchard also added that he’s seen a resurgence of teens buying music on vinyl and record players.

“A lot of younger people listen to people like Taylor and Beyoncé,” he said. “Whenever they drop an album and put it on vinyl, it brings more bodies into stores like mine.”

In the day and age of digital playlists, Sikora said there’s nothing quite like listening to a vinyl record.

“It takes you on more of a journey,” she said. “You start somewhere and you end in a different place emotionally.”

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