Music

Marking this year's biggest week for any album, 'Speak Now (Taylor's Version)' gives the country-turned-pop superstar her 12th No. 1 in her career, surpassing Barbra Streisand's record.

• Jul 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Taylor Swift has reached another new milestone with "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)". The highly-anticipated release of her latest re-recorded album has proven to be a record-breaking one as the album blasts to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated July 22). It gives Swift her 12th No. 1 in her career, surpassing Barbra Streisand for the most No. 1 albums among women.

The third re-recorded album by the Grammy winner, it bows with 716,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 13, according to Luminate, of which 507,000 are in traditional album sales. Both figures represent the largest week for any album in 2023.

The 33-year-old singer/songwriter also breaks her own record as the "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" launch marks the best since her last studio album "Midnights" debuted with 1.58 million units, of which 1.14 million were in album sales, last year in the week ending Oct. 27, 2022.

"Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" surpassed Morgan Wallen's "One Thing at a Time", which previously held record for the biggest week of the year with 501,000 units in the week ending March 9, as reflected on the Billboard 200 chart dated March 18. The year's largest sales week was held by the debut frame of Stray Kids' "5-STAR" with 235,000 copies sold in the week ending June 8, as reflected on the June 17-dated charts.

With "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" No. 1 debut, Swift currently dominates the chart with four albums in the top 10 at the same time. "Midnights" falls 4-5 (55,000), 2019's "Lover" (45,000) is up one place to No. 7 and 2020's "Folklore" (33,000) jumps from No. 13 to No. 10.

The Pennsylvania native is the first living act to have four albums in the top 10 at the same time since the April 2, 1966-dated chart, when Herb Alpert also had four albums in the top 10 with "Going Places" at No. 2, "Whipped Cream & Other Delights" at No. 3, "South of the Border" at No. 9 and "The Lonely Bull" at No. 10.

Between Swift and Alpert, Prince is the only other act that has placed at least four titles in the top 10 concurrently, following her death in 2016. In the wake of his sudden passing, he had had five albums in the top 10 dated May 14, 2016.

Back to this week's chart, Wallen's "One Thing at a Time" is a non-mover at No. 2 with 104,000 equivalent album units. Last week's champion Lil Uzi Vert's "Pink Tape" falls 1-3 with 61,000 equivalent album units earned.

Peso Pluma's "Genesis" is down one place to No. 4 with 59,000 equivalent album units. Wallen's "Dangerous: The Double Album" is pushed down 5-6 with 46,000 equivalent album units. SZA's former No. 1 "SOS" also descends 6-8 with 44,000 equivalent album units, as Gunna's "A Gift &A Curse" also drops two places to No. 9 with 42,000 equivalent album units.

Top Ten of Billboard 200: (dated July 22)

1. "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" - Taylor Swift (716,000 units)
2. "One Thing at a Time" - Morgan Wallen (104,000 units)
3. "Pink Tape" - Lil Uzi Vert (61,000 units)
4. "Genesis" - Peso Pluma (59,000 units)
5. "Midnights" - Taylor Swift (55,000 units)
6. "Dangerous: The Double Album" - Morgan Wallen (46,000 units)
7. "Lover" - Taylor Swift (45,000 units)
8. "SOS" - SZA (44,000 units)
9. "A Gift & A Curse" - Gunna (42,000 units)
10. "Folklore" - Taylor Swift (33,000 units)