'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter have been two of the most heavyweight releases of this year so far. Both albums have been received really well by fans and critics alike, and have conquered charts and lists across the world following their release. However, a comparison between Beyoncé and Taylor Swift is inevitable once they decide to release their new albums at the same time.
As it turns out, Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department demolished Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter in terms of the sheer volume of units sold across the world. Taylor's album sold a whopping 1.4 million units on its first day itself and completely dwarfed the 188,000 copies that Cowboy Carter sold from its release to April 11. As of July 16, The Tortured Poets Department has sold 2.474 million units, compared to Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter's 257,000 copies.
Trending
Taylor Swift's unprecedented success with her latest album can be attributed to her record-breaking Eras Tour. What started as a one-stop solution for Taylor's fans to experience all her Eras in one night, quickly blew up for her to touch the coveted billionaire status within just nine months of its inception. It is also currently the highest-grossing concert tour of all time, beating Elton John's Yellow Brick Road Tour.
Taylor Swift's TTPD outsold Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, and others in the Top 10 Albums of 2024 combined
Taylor Swift's The Tortured Poets Department has outperformed the other nine albums in the list of the top 10 highest-selling albums in 2024 by a mile. Midway through 2024, The Tortured Poets Department has sold 2.474 million copies and sits comfortably in the first place. Billie Eilish's Hit Me Hard and Soft and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter get the next two spots with 306,000 and 257,000 albums sold, respectively.
In fact, half the albums in the list belong to Taylor Swift, which includes her chartbuster classics like 1989 (Taylor's Version), Lover, Folklore, and Midnights. Other albums that complete the list are Minisode 3: TOMORROW by TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Golden Hour: Part 1 by ATEEZ, and With YOU-th by TWICE.
Here is the full list of the Top 10 highest selling albums in the United States midway through 2024.
Despite her unprecedented success, Taylor Swift has been criticized by some because of the number of versions of TTPD that have been released so far. Critics have argued that the Grammy winner dominates the charts because of the sheer volume of variations that are released per album.
In fact, Billie Eilish called the practice 'wasteful' in an interview with Billboard back in March 2024. Although she didn't specifically mention anyone, Taylor Swift fans were quick to attack her on social media. This implored her to clarify her statement in a subsequent Instagram story posted a few days later.
“It would be so awesome if people would stop putting words into my mouth and actually read what I said in that Billboard article. I wasn’t singling anyone out, these are industry-wide systemic issues."
She further explained,
"When it comes to variants, so many artists release them — including ME! Which I clearly state in the article. The climate crisis is now and it’s about all of us being part of the problem and trying to do better."
Besides album sales, Taylor Swift's TTPD has also crossed 2.5 billion streams worldwide, while Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter crossed the 1 billion mark in May.
