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Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is off to a blockbuster start in the U.S. On its first day of release, on April 19, the set sold 1.4 million copies in traditional album sales, according to initial reports to data tracking firm Luminate. That marks Swift’s biggest sales week ever for any album in the U.S. (Luminate’s sales, streaming and airplay data powers Billboard’s charts. All numbers in this story are for the U.S. only.)
Plus, the set’s 31 songs (available on its deluxe streaming and digital editions) generated 243.4 million official on-demand audio streams in the U.S. on April 19, led by the album’s first single, “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone, with 18.4 million streams. (That’s more than double the number of streams generated on the first day of Swift’s last release, 1989 [Taylor’s Version]; its 21 songs spurred 110 million streams on its opening day.)
In total, the album earned 1.6 million equivalent album units in the U.S. on its first day. The last album to exceed a million units in a week was Swift’s own 1989 (Taylor’s Version), when it tallied 1.653 million units in its first week late last year (week ending Nov. 2, 2023).
Further news of initial sales and streaming activity for the album, as provided by Luminate, will be reported in the coming days.
With 1.4 million copies sold across all of the CD, vinyl, cassette and digital download versions of the album, The Tortured Poets Department garners the single-largest sales week for any Swift album. Previously, her largest sales week was registered by the opening week of her re-recorded 1989 (Taylor’s Version) last year, when it sold 1.359 million copies.
The Tortured Poets Department (abbreviated as TTPD) was initially released on April 19 as a standard 16-song digital download album, as well as an array of 17-song physical configurations (more details on the assorted versions later in this story). Two hours after the album’s release, Swift announced an expanded 31-song edition of the set and released it as a digital download and streaming album. She wrote: “It’s a 2am surprise: The Tortured Poets Department is a secret DOUBLE album. I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours.”
The sales of The Tortured Poets Department will increase in the coming days, with the current tracking week ending on Thursday, April 25. The album’s final first-week sales number is expected to be announced on Sunday, April 28, along with its assumed large debut on the multi-metric Billboard 200 albums chart (dated May 4). If The Tortured Poets Department debuts atop the Billboard 200, it will mark Swift’s 14th No. 1 album, extending her record for the most among women. She would also tie Jay-Z for the most No. 1s among soloists. The only act with more than 14 No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 is The Beatles, with 19.
All 13 of Swift’s full-length studio albums and re-recorded projects from 2008’s Fearless (her second album) through 2023’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) have debuted at No. 1.
The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each units equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
Sales Story: The 1.4 million sales number registered for the album is inclusive of both over-the-counter and download purchases of The Tortured Poets Department made on April 19, in addition to a likely large number of pre-orders of the album through Internet retailers that were shipped to customers for arrival on release day. Swift announced the album during the Grammy Awards on Feb. 4, and her official webstore began accepting pre-orders for the project that same day.
After one day on sale, The Tortured Poets Department is the top-selling album of 2024, year-to-date, in the U.S., surpassing the 188,000 sold by Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter through the week ending April 11.
The Tortured Poets Department’s sales were bolstered by its availability across 19 different physical configurations (nine CDs, six vinyl LPs and four cassettes — with four of the physical configurations exclusively sold by Target stores) and two digital download offerings (the standard 16-song album, and a surprise deluxe 31-song edition that was released two hours after the original album bowed).
Collectively, the six vinyl LPs combined to sell 600,000 copies on the album’s first day — already the second-largest sales week for a vinyl album in the modern era (since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991). Swift holds the record for the largest sales week on vinyl in the modern era, with 693,000 copies sold of 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on vinyl its first week.
Here’s a recap of the available versions of The Tortured Poets Department:
Standard 16-song digital download & streaming album
“The Manuscript” edition (standard CD, deluxe CD containing Swift-branded merchandise, ghosted white-colored vinyl, Target-exclusive clear vinyl, and white-colored cassette — each with the standard album’s 16 songs plus one bonus track: “The Manuscript.” The standard CD and vinyl editions are widely available through all retailers, while the deluxe CD and cassette are exclusive to Swift’s webstore. Swift also sold signed copies of the standard CD and vinyl variants exclusively through her webstore)
“The Albatross” edition (Target-exclusive CD, deluxe CD containing Swift-branded merchandise, smoke-colored vinyl, smoke-colored cassette — each with the standard album’s 16 songs plus one bonus track: “The Albatross.” The Target CD contains a poster. The vinyl is widely available, while the deluxe CD and cassette are exclusive to Swift’s webstore)
“The Bolter” edition (Target-exclusive CD, deluxe CD containing Swift-branded merchandise, beige-colored vinyl, beige-colored cassette — each with the standard album’s 16 songs plus one bonus track: “The Bolter.” The Target CD contains a poster. The vinyl is widely available, while the deluxe CD and cassette are exclusive to Swift’s webstore.
“The Black Dog” edition (Target-exclusive CD, deluxe CD containing Swift-branded merchandise, charcoal-colored vinyl, charcoal-colored cassette – each with the standard album’s 16 songs plus one bonus track: “The Black Dog.” The Target CD contains a poster. The vinyl is widely available, while the deluxe CD and cassette are exclusive to Swift’s webstore)
Deluxe 31-song digital download & streaming album (Contains the 16 songs on the standard digital album, plus the four bonus tracks that were issued on the above four variants [“The Manuscript,” “The Albatross,” “The Black Dog” and “The Bolter”] and 11 additional songs)
Million-Sellers History: Though the week isn’t nearly over with, The Tortured Poets Department already has the largest sales week for any album since Adele’s 25 bowed with 3.378 million copies sold (week ending Nov. 26, 2015). Presently, The Tortured Poets Department has the sixth-largest sales week for an album in the modern era (since Luminate began electronically tracking sales in 1991). The top six biggest weeks are (all in debut weeks): Adele’s 25 (3.378 million), *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached (2.416 million, in 2000), *NSYNC’s Celebrity (1.878 million, 2001), Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP (1.76 million, 2000), Backstreet Boys’ Black & Blue (1.591 million, 2000) and The Tortured Poets Department (1.4 million, 2024).
The Tortured Poets Department is the seventh Swift album to have sold at least one million copies in a single week, following the debuts of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Midnights, reputation, the original 1989, Red and Speak Now. She is the only act with seven different albums to each sell at least one million copies in a single week in the modern era. In total, there have been 26 instances — by 24 different albums — in which an album sold at least one million copies in a week in the modern era. One of those albums, Adele’s 25, sold more than one million in three separate weeks.
Strong Streaming Numbers: On the album’s first day, the 31 songs on the project generated 243.4 million official on-demand audio streams. (On-demand video official streaming information for the project will be available in the coming days.) The album’s top five most-streamed songs, by official on-demand audio streams, on April 19 were: “Fortnight,” featuring Post Malone (18.4 million), title track “The Tortured Poets Department” (14 million), “Down Bad” (13.3 million), “My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys” (12.7 million) and “So Long, London” (12.6 million).
Swift’s largest streaming week, by total on-demand official streams (both audio and video) generated by the songs on an album, is the opening week of Midnights, which garnered 549.26 million streams for its 20 songs (week ending Oct. 27, 2022). Midnights also owns the third-largest streaming week overall, trailing the opening frames of Drake’s Scorpion (745.92 million in 2018) and Certified Lover Boy (743.67 million in 2021).
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Now that spring has sprung, it’s a good time to start cleaning up your collection of vinyl records, especially if you plan on celebrating Record Store Day on Saturday (April 20). It’s no secret that vinyl records are hotter than ever, and regardless of whether you have a huge record collection or a small one, it’s good to keep them clean and organized.
Just like any other forms of physical media, vinyl records need to be kept clean so that they work properly. Fingerprints, dust and scratches can damage the surface of the record itself, which can diminish the sound and add unwanted noise. Even natural oils from your hands can erode the surface of your vinyl records.
When it comes to cleaning your vinyls, there are special solutions, vinyl record brushes and cleaning kits that are designed to keep your records in pristine shape. For example, the Vinyl Buddy record cleaning kit ($20) has a near-perfect customer rating on Amazon and you’ll get a lot of items for a decent price.
Vinyl Buddy Ultimate Vinyl Record Cleaning Kit | Includes: Record Cleaner, Velvet Brush, Microfiber Brush, Stylus Brush & Storage Pouch – Restore & Revive Your LPs
The five-piece kit comes with a velvet brush, microfiber brush, stylus brush, cleaning solution and a storage pouch. The Groove Washer Walnut Record Cleaning Kit ($44.95) is another favorite of music lovers.
For something easier and possibly cheaper, depending on what you already have around the house, you can always go for Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner and water. Not familiar with Simple Green? It’s a natural, all-purpose cleaning solution that works on just about everything. From surfaces to soft carpets, Simple Green is designed to remove direct grease and stains on countertops, floors, fabric, equipment, vehicles and more. And it’s gentle enough to use on your vinyl records.
Simple Green retails for about $2-$5 for a 32-ounce spray bottle and around $10 for a gallon. You can get it at Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe’s and other retailers.
To clean your vinyl records, grab a microfiber cleaning cloth to remove the dust and static from the record. Next, dampen a clean microfiber cloth (preferably with distilled water) and lightly wipe the record surface in a circular motion — but steer clear of the middle of the record. Next, add a splash of Simple Green (the company recommends a 1:30 ratio) to a bowl of water and clean the record following the same circular motion as the earlier steps. Lastly, grab a dry microfiber cloth to dry the vinyl record (you can also use compressed air to blow away any residual dust).
After your record is clean, all that’s left to do is enjoy the music! Just make sure to check the needle on your record player so that there’s no leftover dust particles that could distort the sound. For additional shopping recommendations check out our list of best record players and turntables, best speakers for music lovers and storage options for your music collection.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The 2024 NBA playoffs are here and one of the most anticipated matchups pit the Los Angeles Lakers against the Denver Nuggets. The Western Conference series has no shortage of star power, with Nikola Jokic and last season’s NBA champs Nuggets facing off against LeBron James and the always-powerful Lakers.
Want to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets on TV and online? Here’s what you need to know.
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Playoff Games: Date, Time
The Lakers and Nuggets open the best-of-7 series tonight, Saturday, April 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET / 5:30 p.m. PT from Ball Arena in Denver.
Last-minute tickets to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets in person are still available on sites like Stubhub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek. All three sites guarantee that your tickets will be delivered digitally in time for the game or your money back. BONUS: use promo code BILLBOARD10 to save $10 off your purchase at SeatGeek.com.
How to Watch Lakers vs. Nuggets on TV
If you want to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets on TV, tonight’s game is airing live on ABC. You can watch the Western Conference playoff game on TV through your local ABC affiliate.
How to Watch Lakers vs. Nuggets Online Free
Want to watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets online without cable? Get this five-day free trial to DirecTV Stream, which includes a live ABC feed as part of its channel offerings. DirecTV Stream is one of the best streaming services for live sports and one of the easiest ways to stream live TV without cable.
Another way to livestream the Lakers vs. Nuggets online free is through Fubo, which offers a seven-day free trial for its streaming service. Fubo lets you watch the Lakers vs. Nuggets playoff game online on ABC from your phone, tablet, laptop or TV. Fubo also includes free DVR so you can record the game to watch an LA vs. Denver game replay on-demand.
You can also sign up for NBA League Pass to stream out-of-market NBA playoff games as well as have 24/7 access to highlights, replays, live stats and more.
Lakers vs. Nuggets Odds, Predictions, Favorites
The Nuggets are looking to become back-to-back NBA champs after taking home the title last year, and Denver is the odds-on favorite to win the series over the Lakers. Denver also swept L.A. in the Western Conference finals last year.
Still, this is a resilient L.A. team that hopes to continue the Lakers dynasty. Aside from last year’s lopsided loss, the Lakers have won seven of the eight playoff series between them and Denver. Los Angeles also leads the all-time series 138-91.
Livestream the Lakers vs. Nuggets online free on ABC through Fubo here.
Patti Smith has acknowledged being named alongside Dylan Thomas on Taylor Swift‘s “The Tortured Poets Department,” the title track from the prolific pop poet’s 31-song anthology released on Friday (April 19).
“You’re not Dylan Thomas/ I’m not Patti Smith/ This ain’t the Chelsea Hotel/ We’re modern idiots,” Swift broods out loud in the chorus of the track, on which she asks her lover who else will be there to hold him and to know him in the way that only she does, then just answers the question herself: “Nobody. No-f—ing-body.”
Friday night, Smith sent a note Swift’s way via her Instagram page, where she shared images of herself reading Dylan Thomas’ Portrait of the Artist as a Young Dog, a collection of his short stories first published in 1940.
In fittingly poetic form, Smith posted:
“This is
saying I was
moved to be
mentioned in
the company
of the great
Welsh poet
Dylan Thomas.
Thank you Taylor.”
Swift’s Tortured Poets Department mentions various artists in the lyrics heard throughout the double set. Smith and Thomas’ names come up first on “The Tortured Poets Department” (song), which also brings up a personal conversation about Charlie Puth — plus references to Jack Antonoff and Lucy Dacus, associates from Swift’s social circle.
As the album goes on, listeners will pick up on the obvious name-drops of Clara Bow and Stevie Nicks on the song “Clara Bow. “Guilty as Sin?” opens with a line about The Blue Nile’s “The Downtown Lights,” and anthology track “The Black Dog” sets the atmosphere in its reference of a song by The Starting Line.
Nicks makes a genuine mark on The Tortured Poets Department, having penned a poem “For T — and me…” that Swift opted to print and showcase on the album case.
See Patti Smith’s message to Taylor Swift below.
Post Malone, Taylor Swift‘s duet partner on The Tortured Poets Department opener and lead single “Fortnight” — and the leading man in Swift’s new music video for the track — posted a heartfelt message for Swift on Saturday (April 20).
“It’s once in a lifetime that someone like @taylorswift comes into this world,” Post, also a co-writer on “Fortnight,” wrote alongside a snapshot of the two. “I am floored by your heart and your mind, and I am beyond honored to have been asked to help you with your journey.”
“I love you so much,” he wrote. “Thank you Tay.”
The pair’s “Fortnight” music video premiered Friday night.
A “cinephile in black and white” Tortured Poets Department muse from album track “loml” seems to inspire Swift’s first visual from her new 31-song anthology. The video introduces more color only when it comes to all the creative energy billowing out from the typewriters of two poet protagonists, portrayed by Swift and Malone.
Swift wrote and directed the music video, with Rodrigo Prieto taking lead on cinematography. Primarily a director of photography in film (most recently credited for Barbie and Killers of the Flower Moon), Prieto’s resume previously crossed paths with Swift’s for her “Cardigan,” “Willow” and “The Man” music videos.
“Pretty much everything in it is a metaphor or a reference to one corner of the album or another,” Swift wrote of the “Fortnight” video on Instagram, explaining that the artistic clip is representative of more than just the single. “For me, this video turned out to be the perfect visual representation of this record and the stories I tell in it.”
She added, “@postmalone blew me away on set as our tortured tragic hero and I’m so grateful to him for everything he put into this collaboration.”
“Fortnight” on Friday became Spotify’s most streamed song in a single day, while The Tortured Poets Department became Spotify’s most streamed album in a single day in 2024 so far, the only album in Spotify history to see over 300 million streams in just a day.
When Swift announced the first single from The Tortured Poets Department, her 11th original studio full-length that dropped on April 19 and turned out to be a double album, she said, “I’ve been such a huge fan of Post because of the writer he is, his musical experimentation and those melodies he creates that just stick in your head forever. I got to witness that magic come to life firsthand when we worked together on Fortnight.”
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