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3. Cassettes Are Back: The Retro Revival Captivating Gen Z

At a time when vinyl seemed to reign supreme in the retro revival, the music cassette is staging a quiet yet unexpected comeback. Championed by artists like Taylor Swift and embraced by Gen Z, it has become a new ritual of nostalgic listening.

Over the years, vinyl has established itself as the stylish, vintage symbol of music’s revival. Yet, unexpectedly, another format from the past is finding its way back into playlists: the audio cassette. Long dismissed as a relic, it is now enjoying a second life, fueled by nostalgia, tech curiosity and savvy marketing from certain artists. Leading the charge is superstar Taylor Swift, whose every new release, including her upcoming October album The Life of a Showgirl, is offered on CD, vinyl and cassette.

What might have once seemed like a passing marketing gimmick has proven to be much more. In the United States, cassette sales climbed from 50,000 units in 2014 to nearly 436,000 in 2023. In 2024, Taylor Swift alone sold almost 35,000 copies of her latest album on cassette, putting her far ahead of other contemporary artists. She is not the only one betting on the format: Metallica, Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey are also riding the magnetic wave.

The cassette appeals first with its aesthetic: translucent cases, minimalist graphics and retro typography. But beyond the look, it offers a sensory experience that hits the mark: taking the tape out of its case, flipping it over, hearing the “click” of the mechanism, a gesture that has become rare in the age of streaming. For Gen Z, who never experienced the era of Walkmans and homemade mixtapes, the cassette has become an object of discovery, collection and even a small challenge. Many young buyers admit they don’t know how a cassette player works, discovering with delight the pleasures of manual rewinding and fast-forwarding.

Taylor Swift: The Face of Vintage

You can’t talk about the cassette’s comeback without mentioning Taylor Swift. By systematically releasing her major albums in this format, she brings together both fans nostalgic for the ’80s and ’90s and a new generation hungry for “authentic” music experiences. While others are exploring the format too, Swift’s impact on sales is striking. Her marketing plays on scarcity and the appeal of limited editions: varied colors and carefully crafted packaging. The cassette has become an object to show off, gift and share. On social media, unboxing videos are spreading, boosting the magnetic tape’s charm even further.

The appeal of the cassette fits into a broader trend of rediscovering the magic of objects from the past. Like vinyl, it offers a more attentive, intimate listening experience. You don’t skip easily from track to track, you experience the linear flow of the tape. This return to slowness resonates with young people seeking tangible experiences in a world where everything is listened to, watched and forgotten at the speed of a scroll. The ritual, the handling and even the pause between sides become a quiet act of resistance against the instant pace of the digital world.

While the phenomenon remains small compared to streaming, its symbolic impact shouldn’t be underestimated. The cassette is once again acting as a bridge between generations: parents and children come together to share memories and discoveries, to talk about sound, equipment and their youthful past. Meanwhile, manufacturers are getting creative, producing new cassette players, hybrid speakers and reissues of iconic models. Even the technical quirks – variable sound quality, tape wear and finicky mechanisms – add to the charm.

Ultimately, the cassette is neither a threat to streaming nor a serious competitor to vinyl. It offers a charming, nostalgic and playful alternative to digital listening. For Taylor Swift and her fans, as well as for Gen Z curious about forgotten rituals, the magnetic tape still has a bright future ahead. Vintage clearly has more than a few tricks up its sleeve.