CELEBRITY
Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department remains in top spot on Billboard 200 albums chart for SEVENTH week in a row
Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department, has racked up its seventh straight week in the top spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The newest offering from the Grammy-winning artist, 34, sold 148,000 equivalent album units for the week that concluded June 6, according to statistics from Luminate, per Billboard.
The album’s overall numbers were down 16 percent in a week it became the first record to achieve the feat since Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time had a 12-week run at the top last year spanning from March 18-June 3. Within Swift’s personal catalogue, the seven-week streak helps The Tortured Poets Department surpass her album Folklore for consecutive weeks in the top spot. Folklore, released in July of 2020, was in the top spot for six weeks to begin with, and eight overall.
Overall, Swift’s longest-running albums to debut and remain in the top spot are the 2008 album Fearless and 2014 record 1989, which both spent 11 weeks at number one. This week’s feat marks the 76th week Swift has had an album in the top spot on the Billboard 200, the most-ever in for solo artists, as the late Elvis Presley has the second-most with 67 weeks. Swift remains in a tie with Jay-Z for most number one albums for a solo artist, with 14 overall, according to Billboard.
Swift, who is dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, 34, spent the weekend in the U.K. performing in Edinburgh, Scotland. While Swift was performing to massive crowds overseas over the weekend, the NFL superstar showed off his batting skills on Saturday by winning a home run contest at a charity softball event in Eastlake, Ohio hosted by Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku.
Kelce, who grew up in Cleveland, arrived at Classic Park, home of the minor league Lake County Captains, just as the event was getting underway. As he made his way onto the field, Kelce shook hands with some fans before warmly greeting Browns defensive end Myles Garrett and quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Once in the batter’s box, Kelce, who played high school baseball, put on an impressive performance. After connecting on his final swing and sending another ball over the fence to clinch the win, Kelce flipped his bat in celebration and took a victory lap around the bases.