Taylor Swift has been shattering hearts and records ever since she dropped "The Agonized Writers Bureau," but the extent of her achievement will come into sharper focus when comprehensive sales data for the album is disclosed next week. In essence: It might be historically monumental.
The all-inclusive Billboard 200 albums chart and the Billboard Hot 100 songs charts, which will incorporate data on the debut performance of "Agonized Writers Bureau," won't be unveiled until April 28 and April 29, respectively. Yet, here's what we can confirm: The colossal 31-track surprise double album, released on Friday, has already amassed remarkable streaming numbers and stands as her most significant first-week sales thus far, according to Billboard.
While certain critical assessments have been mixed, prompting the New York Times to ponder whether we've reached peak Taylor, her devoted fans, known as Swifties, are tuning in – and purchasing – regardless.
"The Agonized Writers Bureau" ("AWB") moved 1.5 million units in the US within its initial three days. With just these statistics alone, the album has notched the highest first-week sales of any album since Adele's "25" shifted 3.378 million units in a single week in 2015. Furthermore, the album has surpassed Swift's first-week US sales for "1989 (Taylor's Version)" (1.359 million units) in a mere three days.
The milestones for “Tortured Poets” may have only just begun:
Billboard 200 albums chart
Among female vocalists, Swift holds the record for the highest number of chart-topping albums on the Billboard 200 albums chart with 13. Should "Agonized Writers Bureau" seize the top position in its debut week, it will mark her 14th album to achieve this feat. Out of Swift's 15 albums released to date (comprising 11 studio albums and four re-recorded "Taylor's Version" editions), her eponymous 2006 debut stands as the sole entry in her discography that didn't reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (it peaked at No. 5).
Should "AWB" ascend to the summit, Swift will equal Jay-Z as the artist with the second-highest number of No. 1 albums on the chart. Presently, The Beatles hold the distinction for the most No. 1 Billboard 200 albums with 19, but Swift seems to be edging closer to challenging the iconic rock band's record.
"Considering that she's secured seven No. 1 albums in the past four years – excluding 'AWB'! – it certainly appears plausible that she could catch up to The Beatles in the coming years," remarked Keith Caulfield, managing director of charts & data operations at Billboard, in an email to CNN on Monday.
Billboard Hot 100 songs chart
According to Billboard, Drake stands as the sole other artist, among all musicians, to have more tracks simultaneously enter the top 20 of Billboard's Hot 100 songs chart than Swift. In November 2022, Drake saw 15 songs secure positions in the top 20, while Swift claimed 14 spots during the same period.
With 31 tracks from "TTPD" in circulation, she has the potential to surpass Drake's top 20 record in the forthcoming weeks.
In 2022, Swift made history as the first artist ever on the music charting platform to occupy all 10 spots concurrently on Billboard's Hot 100 songs chart with songs from "Midnights." Additionally, she holds the distinction of appearing more frequently in the top five, top 10, top 20, and top 40 than any other female artist, as per Billboard.
Streaming milestones
The streaming achievements of "Tortured Poets" are equally remarkable, as the album has shattered all-time records across the major three music streaming platforms: Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.
Swift unveiled the initial 16-track album on Friday, followed by the surprise release of the 15-track "TTPD: The Anthology" two hours later.
"As soon as we've vocalized our most sorrowful narrative, we can liberate ourselves from it," she penned as the album dropped. "And then all that remains is the anguished verse."
Her capacity to continually set new records, however, is a trait she's unlikely to abandon.
