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Taylor Swift is ready for her chart crown.
Predictably, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department (via EMI) flies out the gate in the U.K., where it’s set to become her 12th No. 1.
Based on midweek sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, Tortured Poets has already collected 197,000 chart units, good enough for the title as the fastest-selling album of 2024 so far.When the full-week’s result is tallied, Tortured Poets will stand tall as Swift’s biggest opening week in the U.K. Her current record holder is 2022’s Midnights, with 205,000 first week U.K. chart units, a result that Tortured Poets has almost certainly eclipsed (with half a week to spare).
When the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published later this week, Swift should notch a 12th No. 1 with Tortured Poets, equaling Madonna at the top of the leaderboard of solo female artists. She’s also the first and only artist this century to rack up 10 U.K. No. 1 albums.
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As previously reported, Swift respectively locks up the top three spots in the singles chart race with “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, the title track, and “So Long, London.” With that form, expect the U.S. pop superstar to nab the chart double. “Fortnight” should become TayTay’s fourth U.K. No. 1, after “Look What You Made Me Do” (from 2017), “cardigan” (2020) and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (2023).
Swift’s 11th studio album has already smashed Spotify streaming marks, blasting away with more than 300 million streams in a single day.
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Also on the Official U.K. Albums Chart Update, Pearl Jam’s 12th and latest studio album Dark Matter (Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records) is predicted to give the Rock Hall inductees their highest-charting LP in 11 years, at No. 2.
Completing the podium on the chart blast is UB40’s UB45 (Sono Recording Group), new at No. 3. UB45 is the 21st studio album from the British reggae/pop act, gathering seven new songs and as many revisions of older works.
All will be revealed when the national chart is published late Friday, April 26.
It’s Monday, April 22nd, and we’re starting off the week with fiery disses and records breaking. Drake released an AI track further digging at Kendrick Lamar. The track, ‘Taylor Made Freestyle,’ uses AI to emulate the voices of icons Tupac Shakur & Snoop Dog. Taylor Swift once again breaks records with the release of her […]
Tetris Kelly: Can fresh tracks from Sabrina Carpenter and Hozier hold off four former No. 1s from the top? This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated April 27th. SZA is back in the top 10 with “Saturn.” “Sticks Season” rises a spot to No. 9. Ariana stays put at No. […]
The stars came out as the Rock Hall class of 2024 was unveiled to the world Sunday night (April 21) during ABC‘s American Idol.
Another star-in-the making, Julia Gagnon, used the special occasion to announce herself as a strong candidate for this year’s title.
For a shot at the top 12, Gagnon, the college student from Cumberland, Maine, wore a long red dress and rows of pearls, and channeled the “greatest singer of her generation” — Whitney Houston.
Gagnon and the other top 13 contestants performed songs by Rock And Rock Hall of Fame inducted artists, and two more contestants were eliminated.
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Gagnon delivered with a rendition of “Run To You,” by class of 2020 singer Houston, which appeared on The Bodyguard soundtrack.
During the season 22 auditions, Gagnon shared the story of her tough upbringing. Born in Guatemala, and put up for adoption as a baby, the youngster was raised by a loving family in the U.S. At school, she experienced bullying, but she found her voice through singing.
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Curious of her background, Gagnon went and located her birth mother. The Idol stage would provide a platform for the contestant to “do something for” her birth mom. “I felt really helpless, because I can’t go to her in Guatemala. It’s really far. But she’s really proud of my voice,” she said during the auditions. “And she wanted to see me do something big.”
There was nothing small about her performance on Sunday night, which showcased her vocal power and range. A standing ovation awaited from the audience and the three judges: Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. And on she advances, into the final dozen.
Gagnon wasn’t the only must-see moment on Idol.
During the show, Ryan Seacrest and Rock Hall inductee Lionel Richie revealed the Rock Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024. As previously reported, Queen of Hip-Hop Soul Mary J. Blige, stalwart pop icon Cher, roots rock jam band Dave Matthews Band, stadium rock hitmakers Foreigner, guitar pro Peter Frampton, funky R&B legends Kool & the Gang, metal god Ozzy Osbourne and alt hip-hop progenitors A Tribe Called Quest are all entering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year in the performers category.
Watch Gagnon’s performance during the Rock Hall-themed episode of Idol below.
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The Swift Sweep, the Taylor Takeover. Call it what you will, just expect Taylor Swift to dominate the U.K. charts with The Tortured Poets Department.
When the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published Friday, April 26, Swift will add to her tally of 26 U.K. top 10 singles, and is forecast to nab a fourth No. 1, after “Look What You Made Me Do” (from 2017), “cardigan” (2020) and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (2023).
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Based on early sales and streaming data crunched by the Official Charts Company, Swift’s collaboration with Post Malone, “Fortnight,” the opening track and first official single from Tortured Poets, is in pole position, ahead of the title track and “So Long, London,” respectively.
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Swift’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department is already a global record-beater.
As previously reported, the pop superstar’s latest effort on Friday (April 19) became the first album in the streaming service’s history to accumulate more than 300 million streams in a single day.
Earlier, in less than 12 hours after its release, Tortured Poets, became Spotify’s most streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far. The 31-track double album bested the previous record-holder, Beyoncé’s Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter, which ultimately earned 300.41 million on-demand official streams in its first full week of release.
Also, “Fortnight,” co-written by Swift, Malone and Jack Antonoff, and co-produced by Swift and Antonoff. became Spotify’s most streamed song in a single day.
In the U.K., Tortured Poets will be expected to set the pace in the chart race. Swift currently has 11 No. 1 albums there. She’s the first and only artist this century to rack up 10 U.K. No. 1 albums, the Official Charts Company reports, and only the second female artist ever to do so, following Madonna. If Tortured Poets debuts at No. 1 later this week, Swift will draw level with Madonna on 12 U.K. leaders.
It’s another sweet week for Hozier on the U.K. singles chart, while Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa and Perrie Edwards all nab top 10 debuts.
As predicted, Hozier reigns over the Official U.K. Chart for a second consecutive week with “Too Sweet” (Island). Last week, “Too Sweet” became Andrew John Hozier-Byrne’s first U.K. No. 1, and saw him become the first Irish solo artist to top the national chart since Ronan Keating in 2002, according to the Official Charts Company.
“Too Sweet” rakes in 72,000 chart units, a 17% week-on-week gain, the OCC reports, and it’s the most-streamed track in the U.K. over the latest cycle, with 7.9 million streams.
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Meanwhile, British producer and artist Artemas’ “i like the way you kiss me” (Parlophone) gains 5-3 for a new career high.
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The top debut this week belongs to U.S. singer and actor Sabrina Carpenter with “Espresso” (Island), which shoots to No. 6 on debut. It’s her first U.K. top 10 appearance, and fourth top 40 after “feather” (No. 19), “Skin” (No. 28) and “nonsense” (No. 32).
Country continues to swing in the U.K. as Dasha’s “Austin” (Warner Records) lassos a new chart peak, up 8-7.
Dua Lipa achieves her 16th U.K. top 10 single with “Illusion” (Warner Records), new at No. 9. “Illusion” is the third straight top tier single from her forthcoming third album Radical Optimism, following “Houdini” (No. 2) and “Training Season” (No. 4).
Little Mix star Perrie gets her solo career underway with a top 10 start, as “Forget About Us” (Columbia) bows at No. 10.
Natasha Bedingfield returns to the chart, this time through a collaboration with producer Badger for a remix of “These Words” (Cheeky), new at No. 35. “These Words” topped the Official Singles Chart for two weeks in 2004. The British singer returned to the top 20 earlier this year with her 2004 single “Unwritten,” which enjoyed a bump from its sync to the romcom Anyone But You.
And finally, Grammy Award-winning South African artist Tyla earns a second U.K. top 40 with “Jump” (Since 93/RCA) featuring Gunna and Skillibeng. It’s new at No. 38. It follows Tyla’s “Water,” which peaked at No. 4 on the U.K. chart and went on to win best African music performance — a new category — at the 2024 Grammys.
After 42 years, James finally lands a U.K. No. 1 studio album with Yummy.
The leader at the midweek point, Yummy (via Nothing But Love Music) completes the chart week at No. 1. It’s the second leader for Tim Booth and Co., following their 1998 career retrospective The Best Of, and 19th U.K. top 40 appearance.
Beyoncé’s former leader Cowboy Carter (Columbia/Parkwood Ent.) holds at No. 2 while Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler enjoys a No. 3 entry with One Deep River (EMI). That matches Knopfler’s solo career high, which he achieved with 2015’s Tracker, and becomes his ninth top 10.
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As a member of Dire Straits, Knopfler scooped four No. 1s and 11 top 10s.
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Linkin Park lands a first top 5 album in seven years, and first since the death of frontman Chester Bennington, with Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000-2023) (via Warner Records), new at No. 4, while British rock outfit Kris Barras Band nab a career high with Halo Effect (Earache), new at No. 5.
Meanwhile, Leeds, England four-piece English Teacher nabs a top 10 entry at the first attempt with This Could Be Texas (Island), their debut recording. It’s new at No. 8. Also, Glasgow, Scotland rock act GUN blasts to a first top 10 LP in 30 years with Hombres (Cooking Vinyl), new at No. 10. According to the Official Charts Company, GUN last hit the top 10 back in 1994 with Swagger, which peaked at No. 4.
Future and Metro Boomin just miss out on a second top 10 in under a month. The U.S. hip-hop stars’ latest collaborative album We Still Don’t Trust You (Epic/Freebandz/Republic) bows at No. 11, following the release last month of the collab We Don’t Trust You, which peaked at No. 2 on the March 29 chart.
A handful of new releases impact the latest Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, April 19, including Maggie Rogers’ Don’t Forget Me (No. 12 via Polydor), Nia Archives’ Silence Is Loud (No. 16 via Island) and Girl in Red’s I’m Doing It Again Baby (No. 37 via Columbia).
It’s Friday, April 19th, and there’s been a ton of new singles dropped by some of your favorite artists! Taylor Swift announced “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, as her lead single prior to the release of her new double album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department.’ Nicki Minaj released her new single, “FTCU Remix” and after previewing “Teka” […]
ATEEZ talk about being the first K-pop boy band to perform at Coachella. The boys discussed their preparation and confidence in their performance and how they were inspired by other artists’ sets they watched, including Ice Spice, Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat and J Balvin. Tetris Kelly: Hey, it’s Tetris with Billboard News hanging out […]
Taylor Swift returns to the zenith of Australia’s albums chart with Lover, while Hozier bags a sweet No. 1 single.
As Swifties waited, and anticipated, the release of The Tortured Poets Department, which dropped at midnight, many in Australia turned to her catalog.
Lover (via Universal) rebounds 4-1 for a third non-consecutive week at No. 1, and first stint at the summit since 2019.
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Swift’s Lover leads a top three ahead of SZA’s SOS (RCA/Sony), up 13-2, and Swift’s rerecorded LP 1989 (Taylor’s Version), up 5-3, respectively. SZA’s sophomore album spikes as her Australian arena tour gets underway, Friday, April 19 with a concert at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, produced by Live Nation.
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Further down the ARIA Chart, published late Friday, is Linkin Park’s fourth compilation Papercuts (Warner), new at No. 7. The nu-metal favorites have previously led the national tally with 2000’s Hybrid Theory, 2007’s Minutes To Midnight and 2010’s A Thousand Suns.
Also new to the national survey is We Still Don’t Trust You (Universal/Sony), the second collaborative album from Future and Metro Boomin. It’s new at No. 15, and the followup to We Still Don’t Trust You, which recently bowed at No. 2.
Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Hozier bags his first No. 1 with “Too Sweet” (Columbia/Sony), up 2-1. “Too Sweet” is Hozier’s second top 10 appearance on the Australian chart after his signature song “Take Me To Church” reached No. 2 back in 2013. “Too Sweet” also lifted to No. 1 in the U.K. earlier this month, for Hozier’s first leader there.
According to ARIA, Hozier is the fourth solo male singer to reach the top this year on the Australian chart, following U.S. artists Jack Harlow (“Lovin On Me”), Noah Kahan (“Stick Season”) and Benson Boone (“Beautiful Things”).
“Beautiful Things” (via Warner) dips 1-2 on the latest frame, while British EDM producer Artemas holds onto third spot with “I Like The Way You Kiss Me” (10K/ADA).
The top new debut on the ARIA Singles Chart belongs to U.S. pop singer and actor Sabrina Carpenter, whose “Espresso” shoots in at No. 7. “Espresso” (Island/Universal) is the follow-up to “Feather,” which peaked at No. 22 in 2023.
Also appearing for the first time on the ARIA Chart is Dua Lipa’s “Illusion” (Warner UK), new at No. 21.“Illusion” is the third single from the British pop star’s forthcoming third studio album Radical Optimism, following “Houdini” (No. 7 peak) and “Training Session” (No. 12).