According to Billboard, Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has exceeded expectations by achieving blockbuster success. Luminate data reveals that the album accumulated an impressive 2.61 million album-equivalent units in its first week, making it the highest one-week sales figure for any album in the past nine years.
In 2015, Adele’s album “25” made a remarkable debut with 3.482 million copies sold. Since then, the music industry has undergone significant changes in consumption patterns, making it unlikely for any album to achieve such a feat again.
Taylor Swift’s latest album, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” has set a new record with a whopping 2.61 million units sold in its first week. This impressive feat surpasses her previous best-selling album, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which sold 1.653 million units in its debut week last October. Prior to that, Swift’s highest-selling album was “Midnights,” which debuted with 1.578 million units in late 2022.
Swift achieved a remarkable feat by breaking the record for the highest streaming numbers in a single week. Her album garnered a staggering 891.37 million on-demand streams, surpassing the previous record held by Drake’s “Scorpion” with 745.92 million streams during its debut week in 2018, as reported by Luminate. This unprecedented achievement solidifies Swift’s status as a powerhouse in the music industry.
My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album.
2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS?? Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed.
I was already so fired up to get back to the tour… pic.twitter.com/L7lS7WTa2Y— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 28, 2024
Taylor Swift expressed her excitement and gratitude on social media after learning that her album, Tortured Poets, had garnered an astonishing 2.6 million streams. She was blown away by the love and support her fans had shown for the album. Swift was so overwhelmed by this incredible response that she couldn’t wait to incorporate the new material into her upcoming European tour, scheduled to resume in May. She eagerly anticipated May 9th, when she would be able to share this special experience with her fans.
Since 2014, the Billboard 200 charts have undergone a significant transformation. Previously, the charts were solely based on album sales. However, a new formula was introduced that incorporates both sales and streaming data to determine album-equivalent figures. Over the past decade, Taylor Swift has dominated this new era, securing six out of the top 10 spots for highest album debuts. Adele has claimed two spots, while Drake has secured one, making them the other notable artists in this contemporary top 10 ranking.
When it comes to pure sales, Swift is undeniably the reigning queen, just as she is solidifying her position as the streaming queen.
“Poets Department” had an impressive debut, selling 1.914 million copies in its first week. This makes it the third-best-selling album since 1991, when SoundScan started collecting accurate sales data. The only albums that have sold more copies in a single week are Adele’s “25” with 3.378 million copies sold in 2015, and *NSYNC’s “No Strings Attached” with 2.416 million copies sold in 2000, before streaming was even a thing.
Swift has achieved a remarkable feat with three albums making it to the top 10 best weekly sales figures in the modern era. Both versions of her album “1989” have also secured a place on this prestigious list. Last year, the “Taylor’s Version” update of the album sold 1.359 million copies, while the original “1989” album sold 1.287 million copies back in 2014.
According to Billboard, the sales of “Tortured Poets” have set a new record for the most vinyl copies sold in a single week since 1991. The album sold an impressive 859,000 double-LP copies in its first week, surpassing the previous record-holder, “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which sold 693,000 LP copies last fall.
Swift strategically maximized the exposure of her new album by leveraging both streaming and sales platforms. To boost streaming numbers, she promptly released a deluxe version of the album with 31 songs, just two hours after the initial 16-song version. This move allowed her to capture the attention of a wider audience. Additionally, Swift catered to the preferences of her dedicated fans by offering vinyl, CD, and cassette versions of the album, each with unique cover art, packaging, and bonus tracks. This clever marketing tactic enticed fans to buy multiple copies, further contributing to the album’s success.