The pop superstar fell to No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, ending ‘The Tortured Poets Department”s 12-week reign in the top spot
Taylor Swift may be in her “glittering prime,” but her three-month reign at the top of the charts has come to an end.
The pop star’s smash album The Tortured Poets Department, which she released in April, fell from the top spot to No. 4 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated July 27), moving 82,000 units on its 13th week, according to Billboard.
Swift was replaced at No. 1 by Eminem with his latest album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), which sold 281,000 units, making it the rapper’s 11th album to hit the top of the chart. The No. 2 spot went to the K-pop group Enhypen, whose new album Romance: Untold sold 124,000 units. Zach Bryan came in at No. 3, moving 88,000 units with The Great American Bar Scene in the album’s second week.
While Swift fell short of a milestone 13 straight weeks at No. 1 — the “Fortnight” singer has famously said that 13 is her “lucky number” — the album was no stranger to chart achievements, taking over a record-breaking top 14 slots of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart when the album first dropped in April. (The previous record was 10, which she also set — with her 2022 album Midnights.)
And at 12 chart-topping weeks, Tortured Poets has already notched more weeks at No. 1 than any of her previous albums (Fearless and 1989 each scored 11 nonconsecutive weeks, according to Billboard).
Over the course of its run, Tortured Poets has fended off fierce challengers for the top spot — including albums by Bryan, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, Gunna and even Swift’s former tourmate Gracie Abrams.
And the pop superstar has convinced Swifties to buy albums like never before, in part by enticing fans with dozens of versions of Tortured Poets.
Even before its April release, Swift sent fans into a buying frenzy by announcing three alternate copies of her 11th studio album — each with an additional bonus track not found on the standard version of the record.
In addition to a surprise double album that hit streaming services a mere two hours after Tortured Poets was released, Swift has repackaged the record several more times, dropping versions with additional live performances of tracks like “loml,” “The Alchemy” and “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys.”
Swift’s latest chart battle comes as she is busy on tour — she just wrapped up three nights in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, this week.
And while the performer’s streak atop the albums chart may be broken, she is certainly in contention to notch more weeks at No. 1 throughout the rest of the summer as the Eras Tour continues on — giving her a chance to get that lucky 13th week after all.
