Taylor Swift coming for historic Madonna record with new album The Tortured Poets Department

Taylor Swift could soon sit alongside Queen of Pop Madonna as the female artist with the most number one albums in the UK, following the release of her divisive 11th album, The Tortured Poets Department.

The record, which shouts out queer boygenius member Lucy Dacus and rumoured bisexual actress Clara Bow, smashed streaming records over the weekend.

Following its release on Friday (19 April), The Tortured Poets Department became the first album to receive more than 200 million streams on Spotify in one day.

It beat Swift’s last album, 2022’s Midnights, which previously held the record for most-streamed album on Spotify in a single day, with 185 million streams.

If the new album ascends to the top spot in the UK charts this Friday, 26 April, Swift will match Madonna’s record as the female artist with the most number one albums, according to Vegas Insider.

Madonna currently has 12 number one albums in the country, while Swift has 11.

Swift’s attempt at tying Madge’s record has been hugely helped by the re-release of her albums Fearless and Speak Now, both of which didn’t hit number one originally, but did in their re-released “Taylor’s Version” formats.

However, the monumental music star has managed to bag 11 number one albums in 18 years, as opposed to Madonna’s 12 number ones in 40 years.

The Tortured Poets Department is already 2024’s fastest-selling album so far and is on course to hit the top spot in the UK this week, according to Official Charts.

With the re-release of her 2017 album Reputation reportedly set for release this year, it looks increasingly likely that Swift will surpass Madonna’s historic record altogether.

While the 34-year-old songstress is likely to match Madonna’s record in the UK this Friday, she looks set to beat it in Australia.

Both Madonna and Taylor Swift have had 12 number one albums in the country, yet Swift will almost certainly make that 13 this week.

In the US, both artists’ home country, Swift has already blown Madonna out of the water on the number one albums front. The “Anti-Hero” star currently has 13 number one albums (likely 14 by the end of the week), while Madonna has just nine.

Swift could also soon become the artist with the most number one albums of all time in Ireland, breaking her tie with Bruce Springsteen, as both currently have ten records that have ascended to the top of the charts.

Despite The Tortured Poets Department has receiving staggering streaming numbers, the record has also fiercely divided critics, with some calling it an “instant classic” and others dubbing it “underwhelming and clunky”.