aylor swift has conquered the coveted double charts after her tenth studio album Midnights and lead single Anti-Hero both hit number one.
The pop megastar, 32, fended off stiff competition from Arctic Monkeys to take the top spot in the UK albums chart and broke a host of other records this week as well.
The electronica-style album has become the fastest-selling album of the year so far, overtaking Harry Styles’ hit Harry’s House, which previously held the 2022 title, according to the Official Charts Company.
After its October 21 release, Midnights achieved 204,000 ticket sales in seven days, more than doubling her previous personal best of 90,300 achieved with her album 1989, released in 2014.
It claims the biggest first week of album sales since Adele’s 30 was released last November and takes the title of the most-streamed album of the year in its opening week with 72.5 million streams over the seven days.
Swift also catches up Madonna to set a new official chart-topping record by achieving the fastest succession of nine UK number one albums by a female artist.
The singer-songwriter scored her first hit album 10 years ago, in October 2012, with Red, while Madonna took 21 years to reach the same number. The Beatles hold the overall record with nine charts in five years and seven months.
While Queen of Pop Madonna retains the title of female artist with the most UK number one albums overall with 12 to her name, Swift has now surpassed Kylie Minogue and follows in second place.
Midnights follows Swift’s previous eight UK hit albums, all achieved consecutively: 2012’s Red, 2014 release 1989, 2017’s Reputation, 2019’s Lover, 2020’s Folklore, 2020’s Evermore and re-recordings Fearless (Taylor’s Version) and Red (Taylor’s Version), both released in 2021 .
Her success ends the Arctic Monkeys’ string of six UK #1 albums, but they went head-to-head with their new seventh studio album, The Car, which took second place with over 100,000 ticket sales in its opening week.
Elsewhere in the UK Singles Chart, Swift also rises straight to the top with Anti-Hero.
This comes after the music video for the song was changed to remove the word “fat” from one of the scenes after criticism from some fans and public figures on social media who suggested the scene encouraged “fatphobia.”
Two other songs from her record-breaking album also made it into the top five, with Lavender Haze at number three and her collaboration with Lana Del Rey on Snow On The Beach at fourth.
This double success also means she is the first female artist in nine years to debut simultaneously on the UK albums and singles charts, the last being Miley Cyrus in August 2013, when Bangerz and Wrecking Ball both hit number one on the UK charts. .
After the album’s release, Spotify announced that it had broken the record for most streamed album in a single day.
The new record offers a rare insight into her personal life and relationship with her boyfriend, the British actor Joe Alwynwith the singer describing it as the story of “13 sleepless nights spanning my life” and “a journey through horrors and sweet dreams”.
Martin Talbot, CEO of the Official Charts Company, acknowledges the achievements of both Swift and Arctic Monkeys this week: “Congratulations to Taylor Swift on her fantastic achievement to exceed 200,000 sales this week.
“We always knew this was going to be a great week for fans of Taylor and Arctic Monkeys, following the release of their brand new albums – and their combined first week total of over 320,000 chart sales indicates that their pre-release excitement was well placed. . .
“The successes come so quickly after a fantastically successful National Album Day earlier this month and also show how popular albums continue to exist.”