CELEBRITY
Taylor Swift Prevails Over Billie Eilish for a Fifth Week at No. 1
In a tight battle that had fans hustling to support their favorite star, “The Tortured Poets Department” outsold “Hit Me Hard and Soft.
Taylor Swift holds the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s latest album chart for a fifth consecutive week, after an intense contest with Billie Eilish in which both stars released a blizzard of “versions” of their LPs to lure fans.
Eilish fought for “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” her third album, with release-week arena listening events in New York and Los Angeles. In an era of supersized track lists as a strategy to maximize streaming yield, the LP had just 10 songs. But fans were given a long menu of options to buy it, including nine colored vinyl editions. There were also four CDs, among them a “splatter” variant for which Eilish herself decorated the covers with splashed paint (“each one is unique,” her website said).
But Swift may have fought harder, or at least hurled more product at the marketplace. Since “The Tortured Poets Department” was released last month, it has come out in more than 20 iterations, according to Billboard, with enough track list variations, media pigments, bonus tracks and collectible goodies like autographs and magnets to keep fans coming back.
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Taylor Swift Condemns Donald Trump for “Domestic Terrorism and Seditious Insurrection,” Accuses Him of Turning the U.S. Military Against Its Own Citizens After His Order to Use Full Force in Chicago Days After the Portland Crackdown
Birthday Boy Travis Kelce Arrives at EverBank Stadium Radiating Confidence and Energy as He’s Set to Leads the Kansas City Chiefs into a High-Stakes Showdown Against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Step Out for a Glamorous Dinner Date in Kansas City to Celebrate “The Life of a Showgirl” Album Success
White House Launches Legal Offensive Against NBC, Filing Lawsuit Over SNL’s Latest Cold Open That Mocked President Donald Trump, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth — Calling the Sketch a “Blatant Misuse of Broadcast Privilege
Happy 36th Birthday, Travis Kelce! The Two-Time Super Bowl Champion and Taylor Swift’s Biggest Fan Celebrates Another Milestone Year Full of Wins, Love, and Legacy On and Off the Field
Taylor Swift Melts Hearts as She Wishes Her Boyfriend Travis Kelce a Happy Birthday, Calling Him the “Kindest, Strongest, and Most Loving Man” She’s Ever Known — Fans Can’t Get Enough of Her Sweet Tribute to the NFL Star
Netflix Preparing to Offer Taylor Swift a $380 Million Endorsement Deal in What Insiders Call a “Strategic Power Move” — Just Days After Elon Musk Sparks Controversy with His Call to Boycott the Streaming Giant Over LGBTQ+ Themes in Kids’ Content
Taylor Swift Condemns ‘Horrific ICE Raid’ in Chicago After Agents Drop from Blackhawk Helicopters and Zip-Tie Children — Calls on President Trump to ‘Stop This Madness’
Taylor Swift Slams Elon Musk After He Calls for a Netflix Boycott Over LGBTQ+ Themes in Kids’ Shows, Accusing Him of Spreading Hate and Trying to Silence Representation
