Earlier this month, Tori Kelly released the deluxe version of her latest album, “Inspired by True Events.”
This album was Kelly’s strongest to date. It had a wide variety of music, a strong vocal range and a smooth progression to it. Once I heard about the deluxe version, I was excited to see what the new songs were.
Even though the two songs added to the album were strong and had a completely different sound to them, it left me wondering what the point of releasing a deluxe album with only two extra songs on it was.
ICYMI: Nicole’s review of “Inspired by True Events”
Growing up, whenever the latest boy band or singer that was the subject of teen craze released an album it seemed like I was getting a bunch of new content, and therefore wanted to buy it. But because I knew the deluxe album was an inevitable, I would wait until it was released and buy that instead of getting the standard album plus the deluxe version.
I understand die-hard fans want to support the artist, but buying the same exact thing with only minutes of extra content on it seems a little ridiculous.
With all the free streaming services out there, most people listen to their music online. Buying the physical copy is usually a habit of the fans who want to appreciate the art rather than be a casual music listener.
Something I would say to those fans is wait until the deluxe version comes out to purchase the album. In the meantime, you get your music fix right when it comes out and you save your money.
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Deluxe albums are more of a collectible than the standard album anyway, usually making them a bit more special to music lovers. Buying both the standard album and the deluxe album when they’re exactly the same thing except a few extra songs is just ridiculous.
The mentality of wanting something now tends to take over once something new is released. But trust me, it’s worth the wait to save your money and get only the thing with extra content in the end.
Most of the time the re-releases and deluxe editions of albums are put out simply to make more money. In our consumer society, the music industry has fooled us into thinking we need both the deluxe versions and the standard versions.
Waiting a few short months is worth it. Your bank account and your future self with thank you.
Nicole Hindberg can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @HindbergNicole.