When Taylor Swift unleashed her latest offering, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” it was destined for success. The only uncertainties were the magnitude of its impact, the vast number of vinyl copies it would sell, and how far it would push down other artists on the charts.
“Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” represents the third chapter in Swift’s series of reimagined albums. It not only recreates her 2010 album “Speak Now,” but also includes additional tracks that were previously left on the cutting room floor. This album has emerged as the biggest LP of the year so far, securing the equivalent of 716,000 sales in the United States alone. In comparison, Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time” opened with 501,000 sales in March.
However, the triumph doesn’t stop there. With this release, Swift claims her 12th No. 1 album, surpassing Barbra Streisand as the highest-charting female artist. Drake also boasts 12 No. 1 albums, but only Jay-Z (14) and the Beatles (19) have more.
The success of Swift’s Eras Tour has also propelled her entire catalog to new heights. In addition to “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” she now has three other albums in the Billboard 200 album chart’s Top 10: “Midnights” at No. 5, “Lover” at No. 7, and “Folklore” at No. 10. This achievement makes Swift the first living artist since Herb Alpert in 1966 to have four albums in the Top 10. (Prince achieved this feat with five albums following his death in 2016, and Billboard previously prevented older “catalog” albums from reappearing on the main chart. This rule was changed after Michael Jackson’s death in 2009.)
Swift’s endeavor to re-record her first six albums stems from her old record label’s sale without her involvement. It serves as a means for Swift to regain control of her earlier work. However, the project has now taken on a life of its own. Fans have seized this opportunity to revisit their personal connection to the music, while critics have scrutinized the new recordings for rare but noteworthy edits. For example, a change to a lyric in the track “Better Than Revenge” from the original “Speak Now” album has garnered attention for being outdated or problematic.
The new iteration of “Speak Now” has had a more substantial debut compared to Swift’s two previous re-recordings: “Red” (605,000 sales) and “Fearless” (291,000 sales).
The 716,000 “equivalent” sales for the new “Speak Now” album incorporate various fan consumption methods, including 269 million streams and 507,000 unit sales of the complete package. It also includes an impressive 268,500 vinyl copies sold. This marks the second-highest vinyl sales week since reliable records have been kept since 1991, the highest being Swift’s own “Midnights” with 575,000 vinyl copies sold in October.
“Speak Now” further solidifies Swift’s incredibly prolific run. This album marks her sixth studio release in just three years. According to Billboard, she is the only artist to achieve new No. 1 albums in each of the last five calendar years, with “Lover” (2019), “Folklore” and “Evermore” (2020), “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” and “Red (Taylor’s Version)” (2021), “Midnights” (2022), and now “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version).”
In other chart news for the week, Wallen’s “One Thing” retains its hold on the No. 2 position, Lil Uzi Vert’s “Pink Tape” falls to No. 3 after claiming the top spot last week, and Peso Pluma’s “Génesis” takes No. 4.
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