SAT . Taylor Swift Fan Defends Dropping $800 to Buy All 26 Life of a Showgirl Albums (Exclusive)

• Aiden Watson, a life-long Swiftie, went viral for his post about buying all 26 variations of Taylor Swift’s newest album, Life of a Showgirl
• In total, Watson spent $800 purchasing the different variations — many of which he acquired before the album came out
• In an interview with PEOPLE, he explains why he did it

Aiden Watson can’t remember a time when he wasn’t a Taylor Swift fan.

At just 7 years old, the Southern California native says he was first drawn to the superstar because she looked like a “Disney princess.” As he got older, it was Swift’s storytelling that kept him hooked. “Her one-of-a-kind ability to make her personal stories feel universally felt makes you feel like your story is just as important,” the 20-year-old tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Earlier this year, when Watson learned that Swift, 35, was releasing her new album The Life of a Showgirl, he couldn’t wait to get his hands on a physical copy. A self-proclaimed collector, Watson says his hobby started with stuffed animals when he was a kid and has since evolved into collecting physical editions of Swift’s albums.Aiden Watson holding up the “Life of a Showgirl” album.

 Aiden Watson

“This album had a lot to offer — many variants from CDs to vinyls — and when it comes to Taylor, you know she’s her only competition,” he says. “Especially at this point in her career, her next album will always be bigger than the last, and likely the biggest of the year.”

He adds, “It feels like you’re buying into history — and, in a weird parasocial way, like you’re helping make history.”

Now, weeks after The Life of a Showgirl dropped on Oct. 3, Watson says he’s purchased all 26 available copies of the album. He even posted a video about it on TikTok, which has since gone viral, amassing nearly a million views.

“Although it may seem risky to purchase this many copies of an album you haven’t heard yet (most copies I purchased before I heard the album), I have complete trust in Taylor’s artistry. She’s put out 12 albums that I absolutely love. I have no reason to doubt her or the next one.”

“My favorite is definitely The Shiny Bug edition,” he continues. “I’m absolutely obsessed with the cover of her leaning against the wall, as well as the photos inside exclusive to that vinyl.”

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