Taylor Swift is at it once again, breaking her own records with the recent re-release of 1989. The original album was released in 2014, breaking sales records by debuting with 1 million units sold, and Swift has recently broken that record again with 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
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Additionally, Swift has made history with the biggest first-week sales for a re-recorded album. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) also slots in as Swift’s sixth No. 1 album to debut with 1 million sales in its release week. The album sold 3.5 million units worldwide in its first week, 1.6 million in the U.S., and grabbed the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, and Top Streaming Albums charts.
To further add to the accolades, 1989 (Taylor’s Version) actually surpassed the 2014 release of 1989 in first-week sales, as have all the other album re-releases. Her re-released albums have only grown in popularity over the original album releases, cementing Swift as a pop culture icon. So far, she’s had 13 albums at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, a number that will most likely make Swift very happy.
Truly, this is Taylor Swift’s world and we’re just living in it. She has amassed a vast collection of awards and accolades for both her original album releases and the re-releases, and the revenue from her recent Eras Tour and concert film have catapulted her to the “Billionaire’s Club” along with Rhianna and Beyoncé, among others.
Critics are in a tizzy over Swift’s success and the success of 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Said Will Hodgkinson for The Times, “[1989] all adds up to a masterclass in mainstream songwriting. This is the album that turned Taylor Swift into the biggest singer of modern times. Nine years after it was first released, you can see why.”
Additionally, Rachel Aoresti for The Guardian said, “It’s over for the doubters: you just can’t argue with Taylor Swift any more. You can’t argue with her fanbase, immaculately devout and mind-bogglingly populous. You can’t argue with her songcraft: masterfully generic in a sonic sense; and startlingly distinctive in a lyrical one. You can’t argue with her positive impact on the lives of her devotees.”
This is truly the Era of Swifties, as the singer’s success just seems to grow exponentially, fueling her fanbase for millennia. What’s next for Taylor Swift? A new leg of The Eras Tour, definitely. A reputation re-release? Possibly. Fans will just have to sit tight and wait to see what record-breaking move she announces next.
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