By Althea Legaspi
Taylor Swift has once again made history on the charts. The Tortured Poets Department landed at Number One on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated May 4). It’s her 14th album to top the charts, setting a tying record with Jay-Z for the most Number Ones among solo artists; the Beatles hold the top spot with 19 Number Ones.
The Tortured Poets Department made history as it receives the largest streaming week for an album ever, since the Billboard 200 began tracking those numbers in December 2014, according to Billboard. The 31 songs on the deluxe edition received a whopping 891.34 million on-demand official streams. (Drake’s Scorpion ranks at Number Two with 745.92 million streams from its debut week of July 14, 2018).
The impressive numbers for TTPD continue, with 2.61 million equivalent albums earned in the U.S. in the week ending April 25, with traditional album sales representing 1.914 million from that tally. The LP garnered the second-largest week for an album since December 2014, when the measurements for total equivalent album units earned began. For comparison, it is only superseded by Adele’s 25; which earned 3.482 million units the week of Dec. 12, 2015.
Swift commented on the news as well, taking to social media to thank fans. “My mind is blown. I’m completely floored by the love you’ve shown this album. 2.6 million ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS??,” she wrote. “Thank you for listening, streaming, and welcoming Tortured Poets into your life. Feeling completely overwhelmed.”
TTPD also nabbed the third-biggest sales week ever when it comes to traditional album sales in the modern era, since Luminate began tracking sales in 1991. The album’s traditional sales were boosted by more than 20 varying album iterations made available for purchase. It is also the largest sales week for an album released on vinyl since Luminate’s 1991 tracking began.
Of course, these record-shattering numbers makes The Tortured Poets Department the top-selling album of 2024 so far and it’s Swift’s biggest debut to date; Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter is the second-biggest selling album of the year, with 228,000 copies sold to date.
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
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