Taylor Swift Reputation: Sales estimate too high? 'No way' album will reach THIS number
TAYLOR SWIFT’S new album is set for release in a matter of hours - and all eyes will be on its first-week sales total.
The star’s past releases have each sold jaw-dropping numbers of copies in their opening weeks in the US, and Billboard claims that record label Big Machine expects Reputation to set a new bar.
Three years ago, Swift’s album 1989 shifted 1.29 million copies in just seven days, while 2012’s Red sold 1.21 million, and 2010’s Speak Now achieved 1.05 million.
According to the US publication, Big Machine reckons Reputation will clear 2 million in its first frame - a number that has not been officially confirmed by bosses themselves.
With over 400,000 pre-orders in the can, it’s not an impossibility - and if any popstar can do it, it's Swift.
However an analyst has been quoted as saying there is simply “no way” a number that gargantuan will be achieved in just one week.
Others questioned whether the estimate was for worldwide sales or purely domestic, and whether or not it includes streaming.
But streaming, it seems, will not be a factor: yesterday it was suggested that Reputation will not appear on services such as Spotify or Apple Music for at least a week, if not more.
The decision comes after Swift previously held her entire back catalogue from Spotify until earlier this year, whilst Adele’s 25 did not appear online for seven months.
And one theory has emerged suggesting how Reputation COULD, in fact, top two million; and it involves a clever plan with UPS in which fans effectively "buy" four copies at a discounted price - one for themselves, and three to gift to others.
so this is how taylor is going to do 2 million in one week… (via the @popjustice forum) pic.twitter.com/IZte28Eopv
— ??????alim kheraj (@alimkheraj) November 9, 2017
Taylor Swift defends her Ready For It music video
Swift’s promotional activity for Reputation has been oddly limited; although each of the tracks that have been pre-released have done very well indeed.
Look What You Made Me Do became her first UK number one single in September, and her fifth in the US.
…Ready For It? has also been big, peaking thus far at No7 in the UK and at 4 in the US.
Reputation is out tomorrow worldwide.