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This is Planet Money from NPR.

Killer Swift's new record got all kinds of people all hot and bothered.

They said it was sloppy, immature, just not that good.

Her name was Kitty, made her money being pretty and witty.

They gave her the keys to this city.

Some listeners were disappointed it didn't sound as advertised.

This is a sad day to be a Swifty.

And that's just my truth.

But it is also capitalist genius.

Death of a showgirl, the life of a capitalist.

That's what I think this album honestly should be called.

The Life of a Showgirl broke records for sales.

The equivalent of over four million albums sold in the first week.

At the same time, a lot of fans had concerns about the actual quality of the album.

If the album didn't sound so great, how did it sell so much better than everything else?

The answer to that question may just be the trade secret behind Taylor Swift, Inc.

Hey, thank you for the lovely bouquet. You're sweeter than a peach boy, you don't know. Swift, Inc.

Hello and welcome to Planet Money. I'm Alexi Horowitz-Gazi. Today on the show, sure, Taylor Swift is a talented musician and performer, but we're here because of her talents at Moneymaking.

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