In its first five days of release, Taylor Swift’s Lover has claimed the largest week for any album in the U.S., in terms of total units earned, since her last release, reputation, in 2017.
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According to initial reports to Nielsen Music through Tuesday, Aug. 27, Lover has earned over 750,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., of which more than 625,000 are in album sales. Lover was released on Friday, Aug. 23.
Until Lover, the largest week for any album in 2018 and 2019 — in terms of equivalent album units earned — was tallied by the debut week of Drake’s Scorpion, which earned 732,000 units in the week ending July 5, 2018.
As for Swift’s reputation, it started with 1.238 million units (of which 1.216 million were album sales).
Equivalent album units comprise album sales, track equivalent album (TEA) units and streaming equivalent album (SEA) units. Equivalent album units are used to rank the most popular albums of the week, as reflected on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
This album is very much a celebration of love, in all its complexity, coziness, and chaos. It’s the first album of mine that I’ve ever owned, and I couldn’t be more proud. I’m so excited that #Lover is out NOW: https://t.co/t7jK7XmEqa pic.twitter.com/NMgE7LTdGZ
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) August 23, 2019
Lover by Taylor Swift already logged (by just its second day of release) the biggest sales week for any album since reputation sold 1.216 million copies in its first week and debuted at No. 1 on the Dec. 2, 2017-dated Billboard 200 chart.
For the full tracking week ending Thursday, Aug. 29, industry forecasters expect Lover to earn around 825,000 to 850,000 equivalent album units, with album sales perhaps 650,000 to 700,000 of that sum.
Lover’s first-week sales are aided by the set’s release in four collectible deluxe editions at Target, as well as dozens of merchandise/album bundles sold through Swift’s official website.
It’s expected that Lover will bow at No. 1 on the Sept. 7-dated Billboard 200 chart, securing Taylor Swift her sixth No. 1 album.
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