Stranger Things actor David Harbour has described Taylor Swift as a force of nature. [1] But even nature follows laws. So what explains her breathtaking ascent from successful country songwriter to the dominant artist of the last 20 years? Her new album The Tortured Poets Department serves as a great starting point to answer this question.
In its first week, TTPD sold two million physical records in the USA alone, almost as many as Michael Jackson‘s Bad. Add to this more than 600,000 downloads and streaming units. These numbers alone aren‘t the most impressive aspect. What is even more striking is how far behind they leave the competition. Numbers 2 and 3, Metro Boomin+Future and Beyonce, not exactly small fry either, each came to 65,000 units. The most recent Drake album For All the Dogs sold just under 100 units in the same week (not counting streaming).
