The idea that modernist culture in media is back-pedalling, and the “vintage aesthetic” is becoming much more prevalent in popular culture and is heavily aiding the vinyl revival. Aestheticism is one of the major components that influences current daily life, distinctly the way it is portrayed on social media, and so the vintage feel of vinyl and its raw, retro and real vibe gives younger generations a new way to present such an attractive lifestyle that aligns with this vintage style.
Seemingly preying on this perspective, capitalist companies that leech off these consumerist trends such as Urban Outfitters have taken advantage of this particular trend, selling vinyl records for extortionate prices, despite primarily being a clothing shop.
This links to super-fan culture in the world of music, following esteemed artist Taylor Swift selling multiple colours of the same record on vinyl, knowing that her fans will do and pay anything to collect every colour of these vinyl records, despite them all being the exact same album. These artists are seen to be capitalising off the obsessive nature of their fans, who are often younger girls, and subsequently making a huge profit by exploiting their love for the collectable aspect of vinyl.
Artists are seen to be capitalising off the obsessive nature of their fans [...] subsequently making a huge profit by exploiting their love
In spite of this seemingly superficial reason to bring back vinyl records, supporting your local record store is a valuable way to keep the love for this physical form of music alive, and creates a wholesome community where people can enjoy the music they love in the physical form of vinyl that they desire. The exposure to this is up and coming, and is aided by Record Store Day, beginning in 2007, where the community of independent record store owners come together to celebrate and acknowledge the importance of the role they play in the distribution of vinyl.
The resurgence of vinyl records primarily fosters a sense of community and an appreciation for the tangible beauty of music. Vinyl transcends through generations, bridging generations together and creates a timeless love for music.