From sending her fans on a mission to decode the life-saving Easter eggs of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ to curating an exclusive library in partnership with Spotify, Taylor Swift has done it all to ensure the success of her 11th studio album. However, after going head-on against her contemporaries by making the charts nothing short of a home for herself, Swift’s record-breaking album has met an unprecedented setback just in time for another special milestone after 12 undisputed weeks. 

Despite its long, unblemished history in music, Swift’s April release, which entered discussions for Album of the Year, might have encountered its first hiccup, potentially reshaping the entire trajectory of the record.

Taylor Swift recently secured her 12th consecutive and total week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart with 'The Tortured Poets Department,' making it her longest-leading No. 1 album and surpassing the 11-week records held by '1989' and 'Fearless.' However, a new analysis by Chart Data on X indicates that the album is expected to drop from the No. 1 spot for the first time, leaving it just one week short of tying Stevie Wonder's 'Songs in the Key of Life' for the longest run at No. 1 from debut in history.

According to Luminate, Taylor Swift’s record-breaking album 'The Tortured Poets Department' earned 163,000 equivalent album units in the US for the week ending July 11. Although it has officially outdone Whitney Houston’s 1987 album 'Whitney,' which spent its first 11 weeks at No. 1, becoming the only album by a woman to achieve 12 consecutive weeks at the top, the record seems to have stumbled just as it was set to secure another historic achievement.

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This might be easily one of its first setbacks, but it was nonetheless significant. However, as the record faced a decline in one area, it simultaneously achieved success in another.

Despite being Taylor Swift’s career-best run on the Billboard charts, 'The Tortured Poets Department' is set to experience its first fall. However, to compensate, the album was just announced as the most popular album of the first half of 2024, according to Luminate’s Midyear Music Report. Additionally, it is the top-selling album by traditional album sales at the midyear point, with 2.47 million units sold.

The album is reportedly the best-selling on CD with 1.07 million units, on vinyl with 988,000 units, and through digital downloads with 395,000 units in the first six months of 2024. Swift’s 'The Tortured Poets Department' also leads the top five most popular albums at the midyear point in the US, ahead of Morgan Wallen’s 'One Thing at a Time,' Noah Kahan’s 'Stick Season,' Beyoncé’s 'Cowboy Carter,' and SZA’s 'SOS.' Hence, even with one unexpected fumble, Swift’s uncompromising mastery is here to save the day.

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What do you think of the forecast about Taylor Swift's 'The Tortured Poets Department' experiencing its biggest setback despite its insane run on Billboard 200 for 12 weeks? Let us know in the comments below!