Taylor Swift clinches her 12th Billboard no. 1 album. Image: Instagram/@taylorswift
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift just bagged another record-breaking milestone as she becomes the first female artist to have four albums simultaneously in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart.
Ahead of updating the albums chart on its website, Billboard revealed that Swift’s third re-recorded album, “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version),” has debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, and added that the Grammy Award winner has also occupied three other spots in the top 10 of the July 22-dated list.
Joining “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” in the top 10 are “Midnights” at no. 5, “Lover” at no.7, and “Folklore,” which climbed three spots up to clinch the 10th spot. “Lover” and “Folklore” also marked their 203rd and 155th week, respectively, in the albums chart.
This marks the first time that a female artist has attained such feat since August 1963 when “mono and stereo album charts” were merged to form “one all-encompassing list.” Furthermore, the music publication reported that the 33-year-old hitmaker is also the first living musician in 57 years to achieve this after American trumpeter Herb Alpert.
The only artist to have more albums in the top 10 of the albums chart on the same week is Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Prince, who Billboard reported had five albums in the top 10 on the week of May 14, 2016, a few weeks following his death in April.
Swift announced the release of “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)” on July 7 via Instagram — a process she was contractually allowed to begin in November 2020. In her post’s caption, she shared that the album — the original version was released in 2010 — speaks of “the whims, fantasies, heartaches, dramas and tragedies I lived out as a young woman between 18 and 20.”
The “Wildest Dreams” singer also recalled how difficult it was to finalize the tracklist for the original version to the point that she had to leave out songs that she’s “still unfailingly proud of,” which have now been added to the re-recorded album. Swift also expressed how recording the album at 32 years old brought back memories that “filled me with nostalgia and appreciation.”
Surpassing Barbra Streisand, Jay-Z, Beatles
The re-recorded album’s debut at no. 1, her 12th Billboard no. 1 album overall, gave Swift the lead over Barbra Streisand for most no. 1 albums by a female artist in the albums chart’s history.
For male performers, Jay-Z and the Beatles both have over a dozen number one albums, though Billboard notes it has changed its album ranking system over the decades to include anthologies.
Swift has also become the first living artist in nearly 60 years to have four albums in the top 10 at the same time, Billboard added.
Billboard said Swift had also become the first living artist to have 11 albums in the top 200 simultaneously.
Swift’s record-breaking feats come as she performs many of her best hits on the fan-frenzied “Eras” tour.
The 106-date stadium concert series kicked off in March and is within striking distance of becoming the first billion-dollar tour.
She has also re-recorded “Fearless” and “Red.” EDV