Taylor Swift poised to break sales record, snubs Spotify
Taylor Swift’s new album 1989 is on track to break sales records, also announces world tour
Taylor Swift's new album 1989 is poised to sell more copies than any other album in its first week of release since 2002.
Music industry publication Billboard predicts that Swift's first pop album is on track to sell more than 1.3 million copies, making it the first platinum album of 2014.
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If the predictions pan out, Swift would hold the record for one-week sales for an album by a female artist. That title is currently held by Britney Spears's 2000 album Oops!… I Did It Again, which sold 1.319 million copies in its debut week. Swift's sales may also rival the 1.322 million copies of The Eminem Show sold in its first week in 2002.
Swift's 2012 album Red was also a record breaker. It sold 1.21 million units in its debut week.
Swift's red hot record sales come after the music industry endured historically low sales this summer. Many blame the rise of music streaming sites for the decline.
Swift coming to Canada
Canadian Taylor Swift fans can start circling dates on their calendars. The 24-year-old formally announced her highly-anticipated world tour Monday to promote her new album. The tour kicks off in Louisiana on May 20 and includes seven Canadian dates:
- Ottawa – July 6.
- Montreal – July 7.
- Vancouver – Aug. 1.
- Edmonton – Aug. 4, 5.
- Toronto – Oct. 2, 3.
Swift snubs Spotify
While fans can hope to see her live, they won't be able to enjoy her music on Spotify. Taylor Swift's record label Big Machine announced Monday that is has removed all of her music from the popular streaming site, which recently launched in Canada.
The only exception is Safe & Sound, from The Hunger Games soundtrack.
Spotify has pleaded with Taylor Swift to reconsider. The company wrote in a blog post, “We hope she’ll change her mind and join us in building a new music economy that works for everyone.”
Some industry analysts have pointed out that taking Swift's music off Spotify may be connected to reported negotiations to sell Big Machine Label Group since it may serve to increase the company's value by creating scarcity.