There was a DJ set up as soon as I walked through the entrance. She was appropriately playing Swift's songs, but we'd have to wait until midnight to hear the new stuff.

I expected to see Swifties gathering around the booth to sing or dance, but at first, it was just me.

Though fans weren't on the dance floor, it didn't take me long to find them in the store. The sweatshirt, lanyard, and tote bag gave one away.

Carley, who gave me her first name, secured the first ticket around 10 p.m., reserving her spot to buy Target's exclusive Swift merch at midnight. She told me that the prized item of the night would be Target's exclusive pink vinyl, which came with a big poster of Swift.

She shopped for a frame while waiting for her soon-to-be new poster.

Although she already had a ticket, she kept her dad on standby in Virginia in case she couldn't get the goods.

But compared to Target's Swiftie event on Black Friday that Carley attended last year, she said this was a more chill affair. There seemed to be fewer people, and Carley had no trouble securing her merchandise.

She estimated that hundreds of people lined up outside the store last year for the release of the Eras tour book, which was a morning event. It reminded her of her childhood days camping out for "Harry Potter" books.

Although waiting in line wasn't required to guarantee an item, a line began to form after 10 p.m. as people accepted their ticket vouchers. When I asked why they were there, many of them said it was for the pink vinyl record, but there were some who said it was about the "kind energy" of gathering with other Swifties.

A few said this wasn't their first Swift-themed event of the day. They also went to a pop-up in New York City, waiting up to three hours to get in. They still found time to make it to Target, though. It's the first retailer nationwide to make the album available for fans.

Every now and then, an employee would come around with a tray of coffee and juice samples. One of them was a caramel nonfat latte, one of Swift's personal coffee orders.

Target has a licensing agreement with Starbucks to operate its cafés in stores.

Target's group director, Pratima Mangar, invited guests who were in line near the electronics section to make beaded bracelets at the counter.

Swapping friendship bracelets became a popular part of Swiftie culture during the Eras tour, I was told by a fan. We jammed out to Swift while stringing beads together.

"We wanted to create a special moment for them," Mangar told me.

I assumed a mother I spoke to in line was there to support her young daughter (and give her a ride to Target). I was wrong. The mom was the Swiftie, but her daughter, who didn't have school the next morning, didn't complain.

It was pretty easy to spot the people who were there specifically for Swift. They came in sweatshirts, cardigans (also the name of a song by Swift), and dressed on theme with the "Showgirl" album colors.

One shopper had a cart full of toilet paper and other goods.

"Why not?" he said when I asked about his haul. It was convenient, he said, to be able to shop while the clock wound down to midnight.

I'd never heard of Squashies before Thursday night, but Target workers told me it's a favorite of Swift's. They reminded me of the viral Swedish gummies that were popular on TikTok for a while. I wasn't super impressed by the taste, but the texture was addictive. I was still thinking about them on Friday morning.

One fan, who said they'd been a supporter since 2013, rolled up their sleeve to reveal a tattoo of her name.

While some bought groceries or a couple of new tops, others took the opportunity to buy other Swift albums. Target designed it that way, making Swift's discography available for purchase.

The two-hour wait felt slow until 11 p.m. Then, time seemed to fly as the line in the electronics section started to stretch beyond 30 or so people. Some — mostly those who were there supporting a Swiftie — sat on the ground while they waited.

When the clock struck midnight, cheers erupted from the crowd. Target workers, who contractually had to wait until midnight to set up any displays, immediately hung up "Showgirl" signs.

It took a little longer for the goods to arrive. About 10 minutes after midnight, two small displays of CDs and vinyls were rolled out. I worried at first that there wouldn't be enough, but boxes of extras were stashed away as the copies started flying off the shelf.

The first person in line, a man there with his family, took full advantage of the four-vinyl limit that Target imposed. I asked who they were all for.

"One for me. One for my daughter. One as a collector's item, and one for a friend," he said.

I checked back in with Carley once she bought her vinyl. She didn't lose much time since she had shopped and paid for her other purchases while waiting for midnight. She told me she "got so much" that she had to take it all back to her car earlier in the night.

Now that the displays were out and the vinyls were purchased, fans took photos of their hauls and posed for selfies together. I asked what their plans were now that they'd secured the prizes they coveted.

Some said they'd be playing the CD in the car on their way home, and others were eager to stream the album with their friends.

Mangar said she hoped the exclusive album would continue to bring in shoppers. She anticipated long lines on Friday morning for the early birds and stores that didn't participate last night.

In any case, the dedication of Swifties seems to be paying off for Target.