Olivia Rodrigo Announces Deluxe ‘GUTS’

Everyone saw this coming. Crazy that 20 years ago, this is what would have released to begin with. Now it feels like everyone holds back 4-5 tracks just so they can release vinyl variants with a bonus track on each color, then when those sell out it gets re-released as a "deluxe" so people buy it yet again. Just feels kinda scummy really. Either way it'll be nice to finally own those 4 tracks (and a 5th new one) in good quality!

Am I crazy or was this never really a thing until recently? Is it a way of keeping names in the charts, because people constantly have to buy new or different variants to own all of the material? Just a better way of musicians making more money? Genuinely just curious as to why people are doing this lately.

EDIT: Also, for what it's worth, I love Olivia's music, this album is great, and she seems like a good person (her Fund 4 Good initiative is awesome)! I'm just not a fan of this practice, is all.

 

I think I might disagree a little bit, actually.

The 2000’s had a ton of exclusive tracks to different stores like Amazon, ITunes, japan, etc.

I remember scouring the Internet for different b-sides to try and get everything (Which, admittedly, was kinda fun and made music feel special.)

This all feels super accessible compared to that.

 

Yeah I do vaguely remember along those lines now that you mention it. This place (AP) even had many b-sides threads over the years. However, besides buying a Japanese CD though it never felt inaccessible as far as money went. Like an iTunes bonus track or a random digital store bonus track was only like $1 back then. These days you have to either buy 4 vinyl variants, an even more elusive RSD vinyl collecting them all, or just wait about a year for the inevitable deluxe version. I guess b-sides used to be on CD singles (which as a fan I'd buy) is no different than this. I think I still preferred that model to this though. Buying the same album 4-5 times over seems dumb. At least CD/Vinyl singles with the b-sides/bonus tracks felt like you were getting something different. Plus when the deluxe edition drops, all the versions that came before it seem stupid to own.

I wouldn't have an issue with it if artists just put the bonus tracks on streaming, it's the thing where they specifically hold them back until they've made a ton of money from selling variants that annoys me. I guess being a fan feels more like "whoever can spend the most money to own all my music" is the bigger fan. I dunno, maybe I'm just Grampa shaking his fist at the sky over nothing.