Taylor Swift ‘completely floored’ by millions of sales for new album The Tortured Poets Department

She became the first music artist to claim 12 number one albums in the 21st century in the UK charts on Friday
Taylor Swift
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The Weekender

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Taylor Swift has said she is “completely floored” by achieving millions of sales for her latest album The Tortured Poets Department.

The US superstar, 34, became the first music artist to claim 12 number one albums in the 21st century in the UK charts on Friday.

Swift has broken a string of records with her latest release including passing the one billion streaming mark when it became Spotify’s most-streamed album in a single week.

The album also sold 2.61 million units in the US, according to Billboard who said she ties with Jay-Z for the number of number one albums released by a solo artist, with 14 chart-toppers.

In the UK, the Official Charts Company said 270,000 chart units had been sold.

In an Instagram post, Swift wrote: “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 but you doing this?? May 9th can’t come soon enough.”

Swift is next on tour in France at the La Defense Arena in Paris from May 9.

According to Official Charts Company data, she eclipsed her previous record of 204,000 chart units in seven days, which she achieved when her 2022 album Midnights was released.

This is the biggest opening week with the release of Divide by Ed Sheeran, which logged more than 670,000 sales and streams in its opening week.

Swift, with 12 chart-topping albums under her belt, is tied with US “Queen of Pop” Madonna as having the most number one albums of any female artist in UK chart history.

Meanwhile, Swift achieved her third UK chart double for the third consecutive year when Fortnight, featuring rapper Post Malone, soared to number one in the singles chart alongside her album.

Her highly anticipated 11th studio album also includes a collaboration with Florence And The Machine and her song titles and lyrics appear to refer to some of her former flames including ex-boyfriend Joe Alwyn and The 1975’s Matty Healy.

Earlier this year, Swift was named 2023’s biggest-selling global recording artist by topping the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) global artist chart for a fourth time.