It is safe to say that Taylor Swift has as many fans as she has critics. The pop star is heading towards a reputation that is as divisive as they come, and fans have no shortage of reasons for standing by their side of the fence. While Swifties are all about her for her songwriting skills and uncanny ability to strike a chord with audiences through her music, naysayers take issue with Swift’s wildly enthusiastic fanbase and her business tactics. However, love her or hate her, one simply cannot turn a blind eye to the pop queen.

Taylor Swift has recently set yet another impressive record in an area where the anti-Swifties are always quick to throw shade.

The moment Taylor Swift announced her 2024 album 'The Tortured Poets Department', superfans scrambled to get their hands on the album's vinyl versions by pre-ordering. However, as it stands today, the 2024 album alone has 19 physical variants- nine CDs, six vinyls, and four cassettes, including deluxe editions. While Swift faced a fair bit of heat for this approach, it seems her gamble has paid off handsomely. Three of her albums have now become the only 21st-century releases to hit the million-vinyl mark in the US. 

These albums were- 'Midnights', '1989 (Taylor's Version)' and, of course, 'The Tortured Poets Department'. And this feat was not surprising considering that Taylor Swift was responsible for 7% of all Vinyls sold in America last year. Even with the 2024 album, Swift sold over 859,000 vinyls, which Billboard declared the largest of any vinyl album in the modern era, thanks to fans shelling out big bucks to listen to the (almost) same track list with a prettier cover photo. 

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The same fans, who collect everything Taylor Swift touches, were beaming with pride as the pop star scored this one-in-a-century win.

Taylor Swift fans have supported the pop star by keeping 'The Tortured Poets Department' at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart for 12 weeks straight. And by purchasing thousands of vinyl across her many successful titles, Swifties feel that this achievement is not just a celebration of the pop star but also of the fandom. This led many fans to pat themselves on the back for the success.

Meanwhile, some fans hailed Swift as "the music industry". 

There were also critics who accused the pop star of shoving multiple variants in fans' faces without offering anything new or distinct.

In the tug-of-war between fans and critics, Taylor Swift is making waves in the industry. And with the Eras Tour wrapping up by the end of this year, the pop star is preparing to spread her wings into the entertainment industry to create new milestones for fans to debate. 

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