Taylor Swift had lots to celebrate on May 30, when the megastar announced that she had officially acquired the masters of her first six albums from private equity firm Shamrock Capital, along with videos, concert films, art and other unreleased content. The firm had acquired the catalog in late 2020 from Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings, after Braun had bought Swift’s old label Big Machine Records the year before.
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The purchase marked the end of a six-year kerfuffle that resulted in Swift’s Taylor’s Version project, where she re-recorded four of her first six albums that she recorded for Big Machine. After announcing her big purchase — which Billboard estimated cost about what Shamrock initially paid in late 2020, around $360 million — Swifties were quick to buy and stream her music, resulting in a big Billboard chart week.
Let’s break down the impact of Swift’s announcement, by the numbers (on the latest charts dated June 14 — reflecting activity May 30-June 5, the first full week after the news of the deal).
54,000
Swift’s albums catalog sold a combined 54,000 copies in the U.S. in the tracking week, up 235% from the week before, according to Luminate. This includes each of her albums, re-recordings and all. That 54,000 is the most among all artists this week.
The biggest seller in her catalog was her sixth studio LP and final Big Machine project, 2017’s Reputation, which sold 15,000 copies alone (up 1,183% week-over-week). The album is one of two (along with her 2006 debut, Taylor Swift) that the singer hasn’t re-recorded and released yet. In the letter on her website, she wrote, “Full transparency: I haven’t even re-recorded a quarter of it.” She left fans hopeful though, adding, “There will be a time (if you’re into the idea) for the unreleased Vault tracks from that album to hatch.” The gains for reputation help the album rank at No. 4 on the Top Album Sales chart and No. 10 on Top Streaming Albums, and surge 78-5 on the Billboard 200 (marking its highest placement since January 2018).
The second-biggest seller was Taylor Swift, which she wrote she has finished re-recording but didn’t announce a release date yet. That album sold 8,000 copies (up 955%) and ranks at No. 6 on the Top Album Sales chart. The set also re-enters the Billboard 200 at No. 64, marking its highest rank since 2010.
222 million
Swift’s catalog raked in a combined 222 million official U.S. streams in the week following her announcement, up 32% from the week prior.
“Cruel Summer” was her most-streamed song of the week, tallying 5.4 million U.S. streams (up 6%). Her next four-highest-streamed songs are from Reputation: “…Ready for It” (3.8 million; up 70%), “Delicate” (3.8 million; up 76%), “Look What You Made Me Do” (3.6 million; up 70%) and “Don’t Blame Me” (3.4 million; up 84%).
Those 222 million streams in the U.S. are the second-most among all artists this week, following Morgan Wallen. The country star, who just dropped his latest album, I’m the Problem on May 16, raked in 379 million streams.
11
Swift charts 11 albums on the latest Billboard 200, tying her career weekly best. Here’s a look, with re-entries noted:
No. 5, Reputation
No. 18, The Tortured Poets Department
No. 30, Lover
No. 50, Midnights
No. 52, Folklore
No. 61, 1989 (Taylor’s Version)
No. 64, Taylor Swift (re-entry)
No. 73, 1989 (re-entry)
No. 147, Red (Taylor’s Version)
No. 170, Speak Now (re-entry)
No. 185, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (re-entry)
This is the 31st total week that Swift has charted 11 albums simultaneously. The only artists to chart more in a single week — since the list was combined from its previously separate mono and stereo album charts into one all-encompassing ranking in August 1963 — are Prince (who charted 19 albums after he died in 2016, plus 13 the week after that) and the Beatles (14 albums simultaneously for a week in 2010 and 13 during a week in 2014).
