Pop superstar Swift makes music history with top 10 Billboard spots

Pop superstar Taylor Swift has made music history, becoming the first artist ever to simultaneously* nab all 10 of the top US song chart’s spots after the release of her album Midnights.

The total takeover saw her song Anti-Hero* launch in the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot.

It’s the first time in the chart’s 64-year history that a single artist has claimed the entire top 10, Billboard said.

The last artist to come close was Drake, who took nine of the coveted spots in September 2021.

Swift released her highly anticipated Midnights album on October 21, also debuting* at the top of Billboard’s top album’s chart with the biggest week for a release since Adele’s 25 album in 2015.

Swift’s release of her 10th album crashed Spotify for hours, but Midnights still set a record as the most-streamed album in a day, according to the platform.

The album’s 13 songs tell “the story of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout my life,” Swift said.

Together, they form “a full picture of the intensities of that mystifying, mad hour.”

Swift’s latest album sees her returning to pop and recalling some of her earliest hits after two pandemic albums, Folklore* and Evermore, had a folk music feel.

It also drops as the 32-year-old continues to have resounding* success making good on her vow* to re-record her first six albums so she can control the rights*. Swift’s former record label sold her back catalogue* and Swift has become an outspoken advocate for intellectual property* protection and musicians’ rights.

She has released two re-records of albums so far: Fearless and Red.

GLOSSARY

• simultaneously: happening or being done at exactly the same time
• antihero: central character in play, book, or film but without traditional heroic qualities
• debuting: when someone performs or presents something to the public for the first time
• folklore: traditional stories and culture of a group of people
• resounding: unmistakeable, resounding, achieving a significant and clear result
• vow: making a firm promise or decision to do something
• rights: legal ability to control what can or cannot be done in a certain
• back catalogue: list of books or music that a person or company has produced
• outspoken: expressing strong opinions very directly
• advocate: publicly support or suggest an idea, development or way of doing something

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QUICK QUIZ

1. How many spots has the album Midnights claimed on the top US song chart?
2. What is the name of that American chart?
3. How long has it been charting the success of new releases?
4. Midnights set what record on the Spotify platform?
5. Swift has rerecorded which two of her first six albums?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Make Drake feel better
Design a special greeting card. The purpose of your card is to help Drake feel better about losing his record of nine songs in the top ten chart.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Visual Communication Design

2. Extension
“That mystifying, mad hour.” This is how Taylor Swift describes the middle of the night. What would happen during a “mystifying, mad hour” in the middle of the day? Write a detailed description or story.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Rightfully so
Imagine having a dream that you think will be really successful. You want to show the world what you can do, so you get some help. A company comes along and helps you make your dream a reality. And guess what? Everyone loves what you have created.

One problem, though. The company that helped you with your dream now says that they own all your work, because they helped you. Without them, you wouldn’t have your dream.

Taylor Swift is fighting to say it is her voice, her songs that she wrote, and that she should own them. Even if the record company helped make her famous.

How would you feel if this happened to you?

Without the help of the company, your dream would not have come true. In fact, they put in a lot of their own time and money to make your dream happen.

Write a list of for and against comments for Taylor Swift and the record company.

Who do you conclude is in the right?

Use your comments from your list to explain your reasons.

Extension
See if you can also include a comment from the other party in your explanation to show you have considered both parties.

I understand that Taylor Swift wrote the songs, but without …