Universal Music Group revealed that after Taylor Swift dropped her surprise album Folklore this week, it has been one for the record books.
In just the week since its release, Folklore has become the #1 album in the world with global sales that top 2 million worldwide with over half a billion streams in just one week.
“Cardigan,” the leadoff single from the album debuted #1 on the Global Spotify chart and quickly wracked up the most daily streams on Spotify of 2020. It found similar success on iTunes, quickly reaching number one on the streaming service.
Folklore, which was written and recorded in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, also features collaborations with Justin Vernon’s Bon Iver, Bleacher drummer Jack Antonoff, and The National’s Bryce Dressner.
Dessner shares songwriting credits 13 of the album’s 16 songs. Justin Vernon and William Bowery co-wrote “Exile” with Swift while Bowery and Swift co-wrote “Betty” and Taylor penned “My Tears Ricochet” on her own.
With Folklore, Taylor Swift is the only female artist to have seven albums each sell at least 500,000 copies in a single week and Swift is now first and only female artist in the 21st century to score five #1 studio albums in the UK.
