Taylor Swift’s Big Announcement Leads To Billboard 200 Domination This Week

When a musician as beloved and popular as Taylor Swift goes on Good Morning America to make an important announcement, not only does the news go viral and wind up in nearly every publication on the planet, but the reverberations are usually felt the following week on the Billboard charts.

After appearing on the national morning news program to reveal the re-recorded version of her hit single “Love Story” was coming shortly, and then posting a cryptic message on social media that was quickly deciphered to show that the new version of her album Fearless will be arriving in April, fans of the pop superstar rushed to buy and stream her entire back catalog en masse. All that activity helps her rule over the Billboard 200 this week…even if her name doesn’t even appear inside the top 10 this time around.

Swift occupies the most space on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, as seven of her efforts are present on the tally. She beats hip-hop royalty Drake, who usually owns the most real estate on the tally during any given week. This frame, he has half a dozen titles on the Billboard 200. Many other stars, such as Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Bad Bunny and Lil Baby (to name just a few) fill a trio, but only Swift and Drake grab at least five spaces this frame.

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The highest-ranking of Swift’s bunch is, unsurprisingly, Evermore, her most recent release. The set, which was released with just a few hours warning in December, falls outside the top 10, but only just barely. Pushed out of the highest arena on the Billboard 200 by new sets from The Weeknd, Foo Fighters and Pooh Shiesty, the former leader steps back from No. 10 to No. 11. Fellow 2020 drop Folklore also slides backward, dipping from No. 20 to No. 22.

Three of Swift’s currently-charting albums on the Billboard 200 improve from where they landed last week, with Lover lifting from No. 66 to No. 53, 1989 surging from No. 91 to No. 86 and Reputation gaining the most, as it drives from No. 188 to No. 170. 

On either side of Reputation are two Swift LPs that had recently vacated the Billboard 200, but which are back now for one more turn on the lengthy roster. Fearless, the set that’s receiving the most attention at the moment, reappears at No. 161, while Red re-enters the race at No. 190.

Over the next few months, it won’t be odd to see many of Swift’s albums perform well, especially after Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is released.

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