Taylor Swift Sets Records, Sweeps Australia’s Charts

It’s a long, sweet southern summer for Taylor Swift, as the U.S. pop superstar dominates the Australian albums chart and her sleeper hit “Cruel Summer” climbs to No. 1 for the first time.

The newly-crowned IFPI Global Recording Artist, earning plaudits for a record fourth time, Swift now sweeps the ARIA Charts like no artist has before her.

For the third time in her career, Swift occupies the entire top 5 on the ARIA Albums charts, a feat no other artist has achieved even once (Michael Jackson came closest, when he posthumously nabbed the top 3 spots in 2009).

On the latest tally, published Friday, Feb. 23, Swift rules with Midnights, 1989 (Taylor’s Version), Lover, folklore (all via Universal), and reputation (Big Machine/Universal), respectively. Midnights becomes her longest-reigning No. 1 on the ARIA Chart, at 15 non-consecutive weeks.

All told, TayTay bags seven of the top 10, breaking the record for most titles by one artist in the top 10, beating her old mark of six.

When Swift was confirmed by the IFPI Wednesday (Feb. 21) as the biggest-selling global recording artist of the 2023, the trade body pointed to the “phenomenon” by which her record-busting The Eras Tour increases engagement with her entire catalog on streaming platforms around the world.

Lover track “Cruel Summer” is the IFPI’s case study, a song “initially released in 2019 but which topped charts around the world four years later.”

It’s a good point, well made. Last week, Swift completing a three-night stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and tonight enters the final straight of her The Eras Tour of Australia, produced by Frontier Touring, with the first of her four consecutive concerts at Sydney’s Accord Stadium.

Those dates at the MCG, totaled over 288,000 — the most tickets sold by one artist at the towering venue, according to Universal Music Australia.

Too much Taylor Swift isn’t enough for her Swifties, as “Cruel Summer” lifts 4-1 for its first stint at the top of the ARIA Singles Chart, her 11th leader. That places her in a tie with Madonna as the artist with the third most No. 1 singles in Australia, behind the Beatles (26) and Elvis Presley (14), respectively.

It’s the seventh time Swift has notched the ARIA Chart double, extending her own record.

Also noteworthy on the latest ARIA Singles Chart is the trajectory of Beyonce’s country-leaning “Texas Hold ‘Em” (Columbia/Sony). A record-setter in the U.S., Bey’s new hit flies 38-3 for her 16th top 10 solo or duet appearance in Australia.

Also, Dua Lipa bows at No. 12 on the ARIA Chart with “Training Season” (Warner Records), lifted from the British pop artist’s forthcoming third album.

The top debut on the ARIA Albums Chart belongs Sydney indie duo Royel Otis, with Pratts & Pain (Ourness), new at No. 10. That’s a new career best for the pair, Royel Maddell and Otis Pavlovic, following the No. 43 peak for their 2023 EP Sofa Kings. Nominated for the Michael Gudinski breakthrough artist award at the 2023 ARIAs, Royel Otis are currently touring Australia in support of the new LP.