Topline
Taylor Swift’s new album “The Tortured Poets Department” is available Friday, and if it follows the trend of her latest releases, she has the potential to shatter streaming records on Spotify and open with huge sales—and many of the records she stands to break are her own.
Key Facts
Swift currently holds the record for the biggest first-week debut for an album of the 2020s decade so far, with “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” which debuted atop the Billboard charts in October with 1.653 million units based on sales and streaming figures.
That was just the latest time she shattered that record: Her own “folklore” was formerly the biggest debut of the 2020s, with 846,000 units, until “Midnights” moved 1.578 million units in its first week in 2022.
She also notched her biggest album sales week (not counting streaming) with the debut of “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” selling 1.359 million albums in its first week alone.
Swift has set numerous Spotify streaming records: “Midnights,” and then “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” each broke the Spotify record for the most-streamed album in a single day in the platform’s history, and each album’s release made Swift the most-streamed artist in a single day.
Though Spotify did not release exact streaming totals, music industry trade publication Music Business Worldwide estimated “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” debuted with about 176 million streams on Spotify on its first day.
“The Tortured Poets Department” would be Swift’s fourteenth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200—which would tie her with Jay-Z for the most No. 1s on the chart for a solo artist, with only The Beatles (19 albums) ahead of both.
How Big Will “the Tortured Poets Department” Be?
It’s unclear exactly how much the album will sell in week one, but expectations are high. Tom Poleman, chief programming officer for iHeartRadio, told CNN this is “probably the most anticipated album ever that I’ve seen in my career.” Billboard’s managing director of charts and data, Keith Caulfield, also told CNN Swift has “both markets cornered,” referring to physical sales and streaming, two areas Swift is expected to dominate. Hits Daily Double, a music industry publication that projects album sales, said the album is likely to be “frighteningly big,” stating Swift’s profile is even bigger than when she released “Midnights” thanks to the Eras Tour, the highest-grossing tour of all time. If “The Tortured Poets Department” is even half as popular as her previous releases, Swift will easily claim the title of the biggest album debut of the year so far—surpassing Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” which topped the Billboard 200 chart with 407,000 units moved in its first week.
Surprising Fact
Swift is the only artist to have sold more than 1 million copies of an album in one week six different times—and “The Tortured Poets Department” could be her seventh. She accomplished this feat with “Speak Now” (2010), “Red” (2012), “1989” (2014), “reputation” (2017), “Midnights” (2022) and “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” (2023).
Contra
When “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” debuted to massive sales, Billboard noted the album’s physical sales were boosted by availability in 15 different collectible formats, including five different vinyl editions and eight different CDs. Though this is a strategy not just limited to Swift—many artists release numerous physical and digital versions of their songs and albums, which can boost sales—Swift looks to benefit from this tactic with “The Tortured Poets Department,” as well. She’s selling an exclusive clear vinyl at Target stores, and four physical editions are available, each with a different bonus track: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” or “The Black Dog.”
News Peg
“The Tortured Poets Department” releases Thursday night at midnight EDT, featuring guest appearances from Post Malone and Florence and the Machine. Swift announced she will release a music video Friday at 8 p.m. EDT, though she did not say which song it will be for. This week, Swift has promoted the album in partnership with several streaming services and social media companies, which have helped tease fans with Easter eggs and clues, a tactic Swift has long been known for. Spotify opened a pop-up library in Los Angeles, containing poems that fans can examine for clues to the album. Fans lined up for hours to get a peek at the exhibit, Fox 11 reported. QR codes have also appeared in cities like Chicago and London, which lead fans to YouTube Shorts videos that unveil further clues. Instagram placed a secret countdown to the album on Swift’s profile, and Threads has decorated posts about Swift with a shimmer effect.
Further Reading
‘The Tortured Poets Department’: Everything To Know About Taylor Swift’s New Album (Forbes)
No, seriously, Taylor Swift could become an even bigger deal after ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ (CNN)
