Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department helps the singer pass U2’s UK chart record.
Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department broke a U2 chart record in the UK upon its debut.
Forbes is reporting that the album debuted at No.1 in the UK. The Tortured Poets Department landed at the top spot with 270,000 equivalent units. Additionally, the album’s lead single, “Fortnight,” which features Post Malone, opened at No. 1 on its chart. This is Swift’s twelfth No. 1 album in her career, which broke her out of a tie with elite company.
Previously, Swift was tied with U2, Rod Stewart, and David Bowie with 11 No. 1 albums in the UK. However, she is still behind a few other legendary acts. Elvis Presley had 13 No. 1 albums, Robbie Williams and the Rolling Stones had 14 No. 1 albums, and the Beatles had 16 No. 1 albums.
Clearly, Swift has been among some rock icons in her career. Throughout their career, U2 has remained one of the biggest names in the business. They are in their fourth decade as a group and are made up of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.
Like Swift, U2 has embarked on several blockbuster tours. Their “360” tour was at one point the highest-grossing concert tour ever. They have since been eclipsed by the likes of Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Elton John, and Swift.
Recently, the band played a 40-night residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere commenced on September 29, 2023, and ran through March 2, 2024.
What is The Tortured Poets Department?
The Tortured Poets Department is Swift’s eleventh studio album of original music. She once again collaborated with Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner to produce the album.
Upon winning Best Pop Vocal Album at the 2024 Grammys, Swift announced The Tortured Poets Department. Just hours after the album dropped, Swift released The Anthology, a collection of 15 more songs. “Fortnight” was released on April 19 as the album’s lead single and features Post Malone.
Additionally, Swift is currently embarking on the “Eras” tour. After commencing on March 17, 2023, Swift took the tour all across North America throughout the year. She also played dates in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil before a break.
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In 2024, Swift resumed the tour beginning with four shows in Tokyo, Japan. She then played dates in Australia and Singapore before going on a two-month hiatus.
On May 9, Swift will kick off a European leg of the tour. After five nights at Wembley Stadium in London, England, Swift will return back to the United States and Canada to close out the tour.
To commemorate the tour, Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour was released in theaters. It quickly became the highest-grossing concert film of all time after it made over $260 million at the box office. The concert film was also picked up by Disney+ who released a (Taylor’s Version) extended cut on their streaming service.
