The world's most popular singer releases her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, Friday. It's already breaking records
Matt Winkelmeyer
Taylor Swift, on Friday, will release what could be her most-anticipated album after roughly a month-and-a-half of buildup, Easter eggs, and orange glitter. "The Life of a Showgirl," Swift's 12th studio album, will be accompanied by a limited-term release party in cinemas (which will exclusively premier the album's first music video). It's one she has called "a lot more upbeat" and was setting records long before it hit stores.
Setting records is nothing new for Swift. Whether it's the success of the Eras tour or her multiple music awards, Swift has long-since earned bragging rights as the biggest name in music in the 21st Century.
Here's a look at some of the areas where Miss Americana is the reigning queen of the hill – and new milestones she seems set to conquer.
Even before its release, "The Life of a Showgirl" set its first record, topping 5 million pre-saves by Spotify $SPOT users. Of course, Swift was breaking her own record there. The previous chart topper was "The Tortured Poet's Department."
Michael Jackson used to hold this record, with 26 American Music Awards. Swift has 40 so far – and is likely to gather more before she puts an end to her career.
Terry Wyatt
Radio likes songs that are three to four minutes long. Swift's "All Too Well (10 Minute Version)" ignored that and fans couldn't hear it enough, sending it to the top of the Billboard charts. That knocked Don MacLean's eight-minute long "American Pie" down to number two.
Matt Winkelmeyer
The Eras Tour was such a hot ticket that people who couldn't get in (and tens of thousands who did) rushed to movie theaters when the theatrical version of the concert, shot in Los Angeles, was released. The film earned $261 million at the box office, making it the highest-grossing concert film in history. (That audience only got larger when Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour hit Disney $DIS+.)
The Eras Tour actually set a Guinness World Record, surpassing $1 billion in revenue by its halfway point. By the time the tour ended, it had taken in nearly $2.1 billion in ticket sales, making it the highest grossing concert tour of all time, with 149 sold-out shows across five continents.
Kevin Winter/TAS24
Swift is currently tied for the top with Drake and Jay-Z, with 14 apiece. Assuming "Life of a Showgirl" hits the top spot, which seems a near certainty, she'll hold the record by herself.
Emma McIntyre/TAS24
When she dropped "The Tortured Poets Department," Swift saw that album generate 891 million streams in its first seven days. Anticipation for "Life of a Showgirl" is higher, so it could top that record. Working against it is the shorter length of the playlist.
Gilbert Flores
Since 2019, Swift has had a #1 album to her name. If she achieves that for a seventh consecutive year, she will tie The Beatles for the record for most consecutive years at the top.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/TAS24
In the first era of album sales, there was no unified tracking system for sales. With the resurgence in records, sales are tracked electronically. "The Tortured Poets Department" holds the current (post 1991) definitive record, with 859,000 vinyl copies sold. "Showgirl" could top that.
Two dozen albums have sold over 1 million copies in a single week. Seven of those are Swift's. Should "Showgirl" follow suit, it will further entrench her record.
