Taylor Swift’s latest album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” has made waves by topping the UK charts with the biggest first-week sales in seven years.
The 31-track double album sold 270,000 UK chart units in seven days, surpassing Swift’s previous personal best of 204,000 for her 2022 album, “Midnights.”
This achievement puts her in league with Madonna as the female artist with the most UK number ones, with both having achieved 12 chart-topping albums in their careers.
Swift now shares this distinction with music legends like Bruce Springsteen, while only The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams, and Elvis Presley have more number ones.
Released as a 16-track standalone album, “The Tortured Poets Department” was swiftly followed by a surprise second volume titled “The Anthology,” containing 15 additional tracks.
Together, the project offers a comprehensive journey through two tumultuous years of Swift’s personal life, exploring themes of heartache, criticism, and the complexities of fame.
Critics’ reviews have been mixed, with some suggesting that Swift was retreading old ground, while others praised the album’s ambitious and cathartic nature, hailing it as her most personal yet.
Despite any lukewarm reception from critics, Swift’s fans have propelled the album to break numerous records in its first week of release, indicating a strong and enduring connection between the artist and her audience.
