Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Holds Court Atop the U.K. Albums Chart
Taylor Swift continues her reign over the Official U.K. Albums Chart with The Tortured Poets Department, as the record lands its 10th non-consecutive week at No. 1.
Coinciding with the end of her 21-month long Eras Tour last weekend (Dec. 8), the album remains the songwriter’s longest-running chart-topper in the U.K., the Official Charts Company reports, eclipsing 2022’s Midnights, which sat at the summit for five non-consecutive weeks.
Swift’s previous tour opener Sabrina Carpenter, meanwhile, earns her second U.K. top 10 on the chart this week with Fruitcake. Touching down at No. 5, the festive EP makes its Official Albums Chart debut a year on from release and follows Carpenter’s Netflix special, A Nonsense Christmas. The 25-year-old’s sixth record Short n’ Sweet, meanwhile, continues to be a top 10 mainstay, remaining at No. 2 this week.
The pop girls continue to nab new chart achievements elsewhere: ROSÉ becomes the first K-pop female solo act to secure a U.K. top five with her debut solo LP, rosie (No. 4). She has previously appeared in the top five as part of BLACKPINK, who hit the top spot with 2022’s Born Pink.
Hozier’s Unreal Unearth returns to the top 40 thanks to the release of its deluxe edition, Unreal Unearth: Unending (No. 23), plus the recent announcement that he has been booked to headline Reading & Leeds festival next year alongside Travis Scott, Chappell Roan and Bring Me the Horizon.
There’s also been a surge of momentum behind Coldplay’s 10th full-length effort, Moon Music. It previously topped the chart for one week in October, and has now scaled 29 places week-on-week to arrive at No. 13. The band bagged best rock act at the Billboard Music Awards Thursday (Dec. 12) and performed its song “All My Love” during the telecast.
See the full Official Albums Chart here.
Sophie Williams
Billboard