The American singer signs her best start in the United States and France with her 11th opus, already a historic record holder since its release on April 19.
Results that are all the more insane because they were achieved without any promotional campaign.
A formidable marketing strategy combined with the loyalty of more and more fans contribute to making her the most powerful artist of the moment.
One record chases another. Even she seemed to have a little difficulty in believing it when commenting on the sales figures of The Tortured Poets Departmenthis eleventh album. “I’m blown away. I’m completely overwhelmed by the love you have for this opus”, reacted Taylor Swift on Instagram to the announcement that she had sold 2.6 million copies in one week in the United States. No one has done better in 2024. Only Adele and Justin Timberlake’s boy band, *NSYNC, are ahead of her in the modern era with 25 (2015) and No Strings Attached (2000). The American singer landed her 14th number one on the Billboard 200 ranking. Enough to place her tied with Jay-Z, just behind the Beatles.
France is also struggling
Of the 15 studio albums – original versions and re-recordings – that she has published in her 18-year career, only one – the very first – did not start at the top, specifies the specialist site. Princess of pop, Taylor Swift is undoubtedly the queen of streaming with more than a billion streams on Spotify in one week. Never seen. The first artist to have captured the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, she is now the only one in History to have done so twice. A feat that she had already achieved with the album Midnights in 2022, and that it pushes a little further, this time by occupying the first fourteen places in the ranking.
The Tortured Poets Department also extends its love story with France, which has long shunned it. Taylor Swift has had her best start in France with 46,160 copies sold in one week, according to Snep, the National Phonographic Publishing Union. His second number one in the top albums with us after Midnights, while his six exceptional concerts in Paris and Lyon in May and June are just around the corner. Deciphering a monster success which does as much good for the souls of its fans as it does for a faltering recording industry.
An (almost) surprise album
What does Taylor Swift do between two concerts on the highest-grossing tour of the year? She clearly doesn’t take the time to breathe. When she lost ownership of all her compositions during the takeover of her former record company, the 34-year-old young woman returned to the studio to offer new versions which, this time, belong to her. During her Eras Tour, she published those of “Speak Now” and “1989”. So her fans were convinced that she would announce the one for “Reputation” during the Grammy Awards in February. Missed !
While she receives the prize for best pop album of the year, the American singer will meet on April 19 to The Tortured Poets Department. Without saying much more, preferring to let her music speak for herself. Its promotion will be limited to clues left online and in a mini pop-up bookstore in Los Angeles in the home stretch. The main reason for this treasure hunt? The number 2. Two hours after its release, she revealed that her new project is in fact a double opus composed of 31 songs. All of them made it to the Billboard Hot 100.
Universal texts
But why does Taylor Swift whisper so successfully into her audience’s ear? Because by drawing inspiration from her experiences, it is above all theirs that she analyzes. As tortured as its title, the poetry of The Tortured Poets Department manages to put words to the evils that many have experienced. The pain of a breakup, romantic or friendly, the difficulty of getting back on your feet in the most difficult moments or even the temptation to hide your discomfort behind fake smiles. It’s not for nothing that the album’s poppiest track hides some of the darkest lyrics. “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart”, “I can do it with a broken heart”she insists, suggesting that the start of her tour was psychologically chaotic.
Listening to Taylor Swift means dissecting her texts like those of classic literature. The hidden messages are as numerous as the references to his previous songs. Some even play a game of guessing whether sentences were written by her or by the playwright William Shakespeare. But be careful of overinterpretation. Those who seek to guess the identity of the ex-companions she speaks of in her songs miss the primary goal of her work: a form of collective therapy in music which is enhanced tenfold during her concerts. According to the stones sown on social networks by the Little Thumb-style singer, the first Parisian date on May 9, the start of her European tour, should give rise to the first live performances of these new pieces.
An effective marketing strategy
“What if I told you that I was a master thinker?”, she sings in “Mastermind”. If the title evokes a romantic relationship, Taylor Swift no longer has to prove that she is much more than a musical genius. In recent months, the young woman has notably negotiated directly with the American cinema chain AMC for the exclusive broadcast of the film of her concert before transferring the rights to Disney+ for worldwide exposure. When it comes to her albums, the “Lover” singer demonstrates the same business acumen. She regularly offers several limited editions of her albums. A vinyl color that differs, a photo that changes.
-
Read also
VIDEO – Taylor Swift, the most powerful woman in the world?
For The Tortured Poets Department, she tried an inevitably winning poker move. On its site, it has put on sale drop by drop four limited editions available in more than 20 different physical configurations listed by Billboard, mixing CDs, vinyls and cassettes. The extra detail? Each edition features a new song that you won’t find on the others: “The Manuscript”, “The Albatross”, “The Bolter” and “The Black Dog”. Some fans have obtained all of these now unobtainable items, which smart people are trying to resell for more. The double album, titled The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology, is only available on streaming platforms. At least for now…
