Taylor Swift could make music history with ‘The Life of a Showgirl’
“The Life of a Showgirl” is poised to cement Swift’s legacy — from surpassing Jay-Z and Drake in the U.S. to tying The Beatles’ historic streak.
Taylor Swift’s new album, The Life of a Showgirl, is on pace to rewrite chart history around the world.
According to data from VegasInsider.com, Swift’s latest release could make her the most successful solo artist ever on the Billboard 200, break multiple streaming records, and reach a rare milestone by topping charts in music, film, and singles at the same time.
From the U.S. to Ireland, here’s how The Life of a Showgirl is positioned to make history.
United States
If The Life of a Showgirl reaches number one on the Billboard 200, Swift will move ahead of Jay-Z and Drake to become the solo artist with the most number one albums in U.S. history, with fifteen. The only act with more is The Beatles, with nineteen.
She’ll also extend her lead as the female artist with the most number-one albums. This release will mark her seventh consecutive year with a number one album, matching The Beatles’ run from 1964 through 1970. Every one of her studio albums has debuted at number one, and this will continue that streak.
Swift will also add to her record for the most total weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 by a female artist, which currently sits at 86 weeks. The Beatles are the only act with more at 132.
Early projections suggest The Life of a Showgirl could surpass Adele’s record for the biggest first-week sales in U.S. history. Adele’s 25 sold 3.38 million copies in 2015, while Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department sold 2.61 million.
She may also become the first woman ever to have a number one album, song, and movie in the same week. The last person to achieve that was Prince during the Purple Rain era in 1984.
United Kingdom
If the album tops the charts in the UK, it will become Swift’s fourteenth number one there. That extends her record as the female artist with the most chart-topping albums. It also puts her among an exclusive group that includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and Robbie Williams, who have all hit at least fourteen.
This would also be her tenth number one album of the decade in the UK. For comparison, Ed Sheeran is second this decade with five. It would mark her 29th total week at number one in the 2020s, further solidifying her hold on the UK charts.
Australia
In Australia, The Life of a Showgirl would become Swift’s fourteenth number one album, adding to her record as the female artist with the most. The overall record is held by Jimmy Barnes, who has sixteen.
Canada
In Canada, Swift would tie Drake and Céline Dion for the most number one albums with fifteen each. Her previous total was fourteen, so this release would put her on level ground with two of the country’s most celebrated artists.
Ireland
In Ireland, this album would become Swift’s twelfth number one, giving her the most for any solo artist and moving her closer to U2’s all-time record of thirteen. She currently shares the second-place spot with Westlife.
Spotify and Streaming
Her lead single, The Fate of Ophelia, already broke her own record for the most streams in a single day on Spotify, reaching nearly 31 million plays. The song is also tracking to beat Miley Cyrus’s Flowers for the most streams in a week, which stands at 115 million.
The album could surpass The Tortured Poets Department as the most-streamed album in a week. That record is currently 1.17 billion plays.
Movie, Album, and Song at Number One
The accompanying film, Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, opened at number one at the U.S. box office. If the album and single both reach number one as well, she would become the first woman in history to hold the top spot across music and film in the same week.
This latest wave of milestones comes right on the heels of her headline-making Tonight Show appearance, where she finally explained why she’s steering clear of the Super Bowl halftime stage. And with her album already breaking records before the first week is even up, it’s clear her momentum isn’t slowing anytime soon.
