Taylor Swift is ready for her chart crown.

Predictably, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department (via EMI) flies out the gate in the U.K., where it’s set to become her 12th No. 1.

Based on midweek sales and streaming data captured by the Official Charts Company, Tortured Poets has already collected 197,000 chart units, good enough for the title as the fastest-selling album of 2024 so far.
When the full-week’s result is tallied, Tortured Poets will stand tall as Swift’s biggest opening week in the U.K. Her current record holder is 2022’s Midnights, with 205,000 first week U.K. chart units, a result that Tortured Poets has almost certainly eclipsed (with half a week to spare).

When the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published later this week, Swift should notch a 12th No. 1 with Tortured Poets, equaling Madonna at the top of the leaderboard of solo female artists. She’s also the first and only artist this century to rack up 10 U.K. No. 1 albums.

As previously reported, Swift respectively locks up the top three spots in the singles chart race with “Fortnight” featuring Post Malone, the title track, and “So Long, London.” With that form, expect the U.S. pop superstar to nab the chart double. “Fortnight” should become TayTay’s fourth U.K. No. 1, after “Look What You Made Me Do” (from 2017), “cardigan” (2020) and “Is It Over Now? (Taylor’s Version)” (2023).

Swift’s 11th studio album has already smashed Spotify streaming marks, blasting away with more than 300 million streams in a single day.

Also on the Official U.K. Albums Chart Update, Pearl Jam’s 12th and latest studio album Dark Matter (Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records) is predicted to give the Rock Hall inductees their highest-charting LP in 11 years, at No. 2.

Completing the podium on the chart blast is UB40’s UB45 (Sono Recording Group), new at No. 3. UB45 is the 21st studio album from the British reggae/pop act, gathering seven new songs and as many revisions of older works.

All will be revealed when the national chart is published late Friday, April 26.

Chris King, the rapper who was close friends with Trippie Redd and Justin Bieber and started the label Snotty Nose Records, was fatally shot in Nashville early Saturday morning. He was 32 years old.

According to Nashville homicide detectives, King (real name: Christopher Cheeks) was with friends at 2:30 a.m. CT when three suspects attempted to rob the group. Both King and his 29-year-old friend were struck by gunfire. After running in separate directions, the 29-year-old victim was located and treated, while King was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt hospital.

On social media, there was an outpouring of love for the late rapper, who was born in Fontana, Calif. King briefly lived with Bieber, who took to his Instagram Story on Saturday to write, “Love you bro,” with a broken-heart emoji over a photo of the pair hugging. “This one hurts. Please keep his family in your prayers. See you in paradise, brother.”

On Saturday, Redd — described as King’s best friend — posted a carousel of photos of the late rapper along with the caption “I am so hurt rn I can’t even think I love you bro come back!!!!!” He posted a longer tribute to Instagram on Sunday, writing, “Original 1400 I love you until we meet again twin! I would not be where I am today without @whoischrisking.” In the caption, Redd credited King with introducing him to 10K Projects CEO Elliot Grainge as well as Create Music Group founding partner Milo Stokes. “He had the best energy always. He had so many friends and it shows. I love you guys for supporting one of my best friends ever my brother.”

Machine Gun Kelly responded in Redd’s comments, writing, “chris was rare.”

Keke Palmer also shared a tribute to King on Instagram, posting a photo of the two talking on Facetime. “Chris King! I wish I had more photos but it’s actually perfect because this is exactly how it began,” she wrote. “iChat sessions with you and Marcel back in the 2Much days. Wow. I can’t believe I’m saying rest in peace. This is terrible. I really don’t know what to say. I just want to share that I loved you and I remember all the city walk, grove moments. That was my high school. When we were babies before everyone knew you was a real rockstar. We were kids! And you always knew how to make everyone laugh. Your kindness was present no matter what room you were in, everybody was and wanted to be your friend. We will miss you until we meet again, rest heavenly brother.”

On April 8, King released his final music, a song called “Seeing Double Seeing Double.” The rapper was in Tennessee to perform Friday night at the Nashville Cannafest.

See some of the tributes to King below:

Milk & Honey Music + Sports + Ventures has acquired VMG Sports, the boutique sports agency that’s home to Kansas City tight end, three-time Super Bowl winner and Taylor Swift love interest Travis Kelce along with 14 other NFL players.

In a deal broked by Milk & Honey president/founding partner Lucas Keller and VMG agents Adam Heller, Michael Simon, Greg Diulus and Sammy Spina, the 15 players represented by VMG Sports will join Milk & Honey’s roster of 83 clients, including Courtland Sutton of the Denver Broncos and Kamren Curl with the Los Angeles Rams.

“It’s an honor to have Adam, Mike, Greg and Sammy in the Milk & Honey family,” Keller said in a release. “VMG sports shared the same ethos with Milk & Honey which is a relentless commitment to advocating and creating value for the American athlete. For us it could be an athlete, an artist, a songwriter or a record producer — our clients train to be some of the greatest in the world.”

In his own statement, Simon said he was “beyond excited to become part of the Milk & Honey family,” while Heller said Milk & Honey was “a perfect fit for the team and our clients.”

Milk & Honey was founded a decade ago by Keller and GM and business partner Nic Warner as a boutique management company catering to songwriters, producers and artists. The firm entered the sports world three years ago with Jake Presser and Rawleigh Williams alongside Dave Frank and Alex Harrow.

“Our belief in the influence of both music and sports and the important intersection between the two as an entertainment company is unwavering — this acquisition further reinforces that ethos and represents a significant step in our commitment to representing a diverse roster of premier talent worldwide,” said Frank.

The deal was brokered for Milk & Honey by lawyers Brian Schall, Ryan Barncastle and Rebecca Rosen from Barnes & Thornburg; Josh Joseph and Eric Russell from Big Plan Holdings; Jarrod Grubb, Woody Hartman, Jason Dobbs, Tom Fox and Andy Moats from Pinnacle Bank; and Ed Gold and Mike Berlly from Gold Business Management.