Taylor Swift continues to dominate in the week following the release of her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The 31-track album has hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, tying Swift with Jay-Z for second-most No. 1 albums at 14. Only The Beatles, with 19 No. 1 albums, have had more.
Quick Read
- Swift’s Chart-Topping Release: Taylor Swift’s 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, tying her with Jay-Z for the second-most No. 1 albums at 14, behind The Beatles who hold 19.
- Record-Breaking Sales: The double album has achieved 2.61 million equivalent album units, with a historic 1.91 million from traditional sales including downloads, CDs, cassettes, and a record 859,000 units from vinyl alone.
- Streaming Success: Swift’s album has also set a new record for the biggest streaming week ever, amassing 891.34 million album streams, surpassing previous records held by Drake and Swift’s own earlier release.
- 2024’s Top Seller: “The Tortured Poets Department” is currently the top-selling album of 2024, outperforming Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.”
- Swift’s Reaction: Swift expressed her astonishment and gratitude for the overwhelming reception to her album on social media, noting the significant sales and streaming figures.
The Associated Press has the story:
Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ hits No. 1, the largest streaming week ever
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Taylor Swift continues to dominate in the week following the release of her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The 31-track album has hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, tying Swift with Jay-Z for second-most No. 1 albums at 14. Only The Beatles, with 19 No. 1 albums, have had more.
The double album has amassed 2.61 million equivalent album units, according to Luminate, the industry data and analytics company. A shocking 1.91 million of those units come from traditional album sales — people purchasing downloads, CDs, cassettes and vinyl. Vinyl accounts for 859,000 units sold, the highest number of vinyl sales in modern history.
It is the top-selling album of 2024, eclipsing Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” which sold 228,000 units. (But streaming was a boon: “Cowboy Carter” hit 407,000 equivalent album units, a combination of pure album sales and on-demand streams, earned in the U.S. in its first week.)
“The Tortured Poets Department” hit 891.34 million album streams, according to Luminate, the biggest streaming week for an album in history.
She’s broken the highest single-week mark for an album, passing Drake’s 25-track “Scorpion” with 745.92 million in 2018, his 21-track “Certified Lover Boy” with 743.67 million in 2021, and her own “Midnights” in 2022 with 549.3 million streams.
“My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album,” Swift wrote on X. “2.6 million are you actually serious? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed.”
