Taylor Swift has broken the Billboard record for the most albums sold within the first week of release after selling 3.5 million copies of The Life of a Showgirl.
The record was previously held by Adele for her album 25, released in 2015, which sold 3.4 million in its first week.
Swift's 12th album's sales success has come despite the mixed reception it received from critics and fans.
But Swift herself doesn't seem phased.
"The rule of show business is if it's the first week of my album release, and you are saying either my name or my album title, you're helping," Swift told Zane Lowe in an interview with Apple Music.
Taylor Nation and a loyal fanbase
Taylor Swift has an incredibly loyal fanbase. (AP: Lewis Joly)
Swift has had a 19-year-long music career, earning her 14 Grammys and a net worth of $US1.6 billion. She has consistently set and broken records.
Former music executive and academic Tim Kelly said Swift's career success, including album sales, reflected her ability to mobilise her fan base, known as Swifties.
"The first week sales of an artist's record are already dependent on
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