Taylor Swift Is Unstoppable

SWIFT KICK FOR RECORD BUSINESS
Album Could Challenge Lil’ Wayne Debut with Total Between 800-900k

October 26, 2010

The Taylor Swift set-up—and it’s hard to get away from—has been a massive success.

Her new album, Speak Now, on Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine and the Lipmans’ Universal Republic labels, is exploding at retail in a way that has initial first-week sales estimates between 800-900k and could go higher.

Insiders are even giving it a shot at approaching the first-wek numbers generated by Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III album two years ago.

And it couldn’t come at a better time for the record industry as it heads into the all-importhat fourth quarter.

Swift appears a lock to turn back the year’s previous first-week sales record, set by Eminem’s Shady/Aftermath/Interscope album, Recovery, in June, with 742k.

Thanks to the early Monday start, as well as robust digital sales at iTunes (where fans who bought singles were able to “complete the album”) and Amazon.com, along with brisk business at non-traditional retailers, the Swift album looks on track for a huuuuge week.

Speak Now appears headed for the largest digital sales week ever for a country artist, and will challenge both the leader, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, and #2 Eminem’s Recovery, for the all-time, overall record.

Her TV blitz continues over the next few weeks. Yesterday, she performed at the United Nations, with the event streamed live on CMT and the MTV networks. She performed on NBC’s Today Show this morning and is slated for Letterman tonight, Live with Regis and Kelly tomorrow and ABC’s Dancing with the Stars Nov. 2. Ellen DeGeneres will host an album release party for Swift next Monday (Nov. 1). Her NBC prime-time special will air Thanksgiving night (11/25) at 8 p.m., featuring a documentary about the making of the album and the promotional events surrounding its streeting.

The previous largest female Country sales debut was Shania Twain’s Up, which moved 874k in its first week of release in Nov. 2002, while the largest Country debut of all time was Garth Brooks’ 1.085 million for his Double Live in Nov. ’98, until now, the only Country artist to debut with more than a million sold.

Could Taylor Swift be the second? Based on Monday sales, she could be, but we will have to see as the week progresses.

DAMN girl. Go ahead with your bad self. I personally don't like her music but she seems like a sweetheart.

Music Heaven