Taylor Swift Scores Biggest Debut For An Album This Year

07-18-2023

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(Republic) Taylor Swift has made history by achieving "the biggest debut for an album this year" with Speak Now (Taylor's Version), registering first-week sales of 716 thousand album equivalents in the US and over 1 million album equivalents worldwide, landing her at #1 on the Billboard 200. At the same time, it makes history by scoring "the biggest sales week for a re-recorded album ever," besting even the 1 million first-week global consumption of Red (Taylor's Version) in 2021. Plus, it notched the "second biggest vinyl sales week in Nielsen history," following Taylor Swift's Midnights. In addition, Taylor is the first living artist in nearly 60 years with four of the top ten on the Billboard 200 with Speak Now (Taylor's Version), Midnights, Lover, and Folklore.

At Spotify, it tallies "the biggest debut for a country album ever," "biggest debut for any album on the platform in 2023," and "5th biggest of all-time" with 128 million first-day streams. The entire Top 18 of US Spotify and Top 10 on the Global Spotify Charts also notably consisted of tracks from Speak Now (Taylor's Version). Moreover, "Mine (Taylor's Version)" eclipsed "All Too Well (10 Minute)" with "the biggest global Spotify stream debut for a 'Taylor's Version'."

Plus, she became "the first female artist to exceed 97 million monthly listeners on Spotify" and delivered an unprecedented 100 million-plus daily catalog streams on Spotify for over 15 days-a record never achieved prior. With Speak Now (Taylor's Version), she holds the "Top 4 Female Album Streaming Debuts in Spotify History," with the latter second only to Midnights. Not to mention, she distinguishes herself as "the first female artist to earn two 100 million album streaming debuts on Spotify." This response even buoyed both collaborators Hayley Williams and Fall Out Boy to career-high streaming days on Spotify.

She stands out as "the first artist to tally first-week sales of over 500K for 10 albums." She breaks the record for "most #1 albums by a female artist in Billboard 200 history" and ties Drake for "third most #1 albums on the Billboard 200." Plus, she has lengthened her record for "most weeks at #1 for a female artist in Billboard 200 history." She's also the "first artist to simultaneously chart 10 albums in the Billboard 200 four times."

Internationally, she registers her 10th consecutive #1 UK album debut and the "biggest first-week by a female artist in 2023." Speak Now (Taylor's Version) outsold the rest of the Top 10 combined and more than doubled the opening week sales of 'Speak Now' in 2010, all while becoming the only female artist in UK chart history to have 3 studio albums in the Top 10. In total, she has 6 albums in the Top 40. In its first week of release, it has already achieved a silver certification.

Down under in Australia, it pops off as "biggest first-week of the year" and "biggest since Midnights," marking her 11th #1 ARIA Album. Plus, it marks "the first time in ARIA Charts history that a singer or band has replaced him-, her-, or themselves at #1," with Midnights at #1 last week. She continues to hold the record for most albums in the Top 10 with 6 right now. Other #1 debuts include Belgium, Canada, Holland, Italy, Spain, and Switzerland.