This week, Taylor Swift made history. once again. And it is by no means accidental, it was carefully planned by the American pop princess and her management.
After 15 years of her success, the 33-year-old is undoubtedly one of the biggest entertainers in the world.
And maybe it sounds like sweet revenge, after feeling partially constrained by what were considered the vultures of the music industry for several years.
Historical quartet
It’s been 13 years since The Pennsylvania Woman released the album Speak Now. 11 days ago, a new recording of the album was released, and now it has reached number one on the list of the most important albums in the world: Billboard.
The top ten list also includes “Midnight” (2022), “Lover” (2019), and “Folklore” (2020).
Trumpeter Herb Alpert had four albums in the top ten in 1966. Prince repeated the feat 50 years later, shortly after his death. Taylor Swift is the first woman to do so. And she is not dead.
But she has taken some steps, which are now bearing fruit, to take more control of her music.
On the left is the new standard cover of “Speak Now”, and on the right is the old cover.
Billion bitter dispute
The reason Taylor Swift re-recorded her first six albums is because she lost the rights to it. Her former record label Big Machine was bought four years ago by powerful music mogul Scooter Braun.
Brown then secured Swift’s back catalog, meaning the songs could be used in commercials, movies, and political campaigns without her having to say anything. She got a guaranteed income, but she lost her influence.
– The scooter has robbed me of my life’s work, and I haven’t had the opportunity to buy myself. “Now the musician’s legacy is in the hands of someone who has tried to ruin it,” Taylor signed. Tumblr.
It was hard for Swift to swallow that Brown had taken over her business, since he had previously been the manager of her longtime “enemy” Kanye West. It looked like they really hated each other.
Brown denied the allegations on Instagram, and has reached out in hopes of resolving the dispute.
It did not lead to anything, after which he resold the rights to the Shamrock investment fund for NOK three billion.
Taylor Swift had had enough and decided to re-release the records. She no longer owns the originals, but now she has complete control over the new recordings and newly recorded songs.
Taylor Swift shows off his muscles on every list.
Photo: George Walker IV/AP/NTB
Closer to the Beatles
As if that weren’t enough, the adventurous Swift, who has released ten albums and three remakes to date, has these recent records:
- She now has more number one album albums than any other woman in history. “Speak Now (Taylor’s version) was her 12th number one. 11-year-old Barbra Streisand writes Huffington Post. Paul McCartney soon feels her breath on his neck, as the Beatles’ top 19 is threatened by the 33-year-old.
- Swift is also wreaking havoc on the singles charts. All 22 songs from the new album are on the so-called Hot 100. With three previous songs also on the list, they own a quarter of the track list, he writes. Forbes.
- The Billboard charts consist of physical and streaming record sales. If we look exclusively at the digital marketplace, Swift is the biggest there, too. On March 19, it set a new Spotify record for a single artist in a single day, with 67 million plays, according to Graph data.
Party chaos
At the same time that Swift is breaking records, she’s also embarking on a record-breaking tour, selling more than two million tickets in a single day in the US — despite the system crashing.
In the spring, Swift will come to Europe, but she is no closer to Norway than Stockholm, where she will play three nights in a row. NRK music journalist Pia Skvik tried to get a ticket to the Paris concert. She got position 95,025 on the waiting list of nearly 1 million Swifties. Prior to that, her techno role had collapsed, and ticket sales in France were postponed.
– This is already the best-selling tour in world history. Skvik says they estimated it would likely have a turnover of $1.3 billion.
NRK P3’s music producer, Janne Monsen Tveit, calls Swift the most sought-after live artist of 2023.
Throughout her career, the narrative around her has revolved around behind-the-scenes drama and struggles—both in love and on a professional level. Now Tveit says finally focusing on music.
“Infuriatingly humble web fan. Writer. Alcohol geek. Passionate explorer. Evil problem solver. Incurable zombie expert.”
