So long, 1.2 million. Hello, 1.3 million.
Analysts have once again raised their sales forecast for Taylor Swift’s “1989.” After lifting it to the million-plus mark Tuesday, the 1.1 million mark Wednesday and the 1.2 million mark Thursday, industry insiders are now eyeing an opening week total of 1.3 million, says Hits Daily Double.
Indicative of a welcome–and unexpected–increase over Swift’s 2012 release “Red,” which moved 1.208 million copies in its opening week, the “1989” forecast puts the singer-songwriter on the cusp of something even more momentous: the all-time record for female artist.
A forecast of 1.3 million brings Swift’s album within striking distance of the 1.319 million opening week sales tally achieved by Britney Spears’ “Oops…I Did it Again.” That mark still stands as the greatest inaugural sales frame for an album released by a female act.
Even if Swift’s “1989” falls short of that mark, there is no longer any debate that it will score more than one million sales this week. It will thus earn Taylor Swift the distinction of being history’s only artist to score three opening week sales counts in excess of one million.
Hits adds that Swift’s “1989” is tracking for a first-week digital sales total in the 618,000-662,000 range.
The significance of those numbers? 618,000 reflects the opening week sales count for Beyonce’s surprise iTunes release “Beyonce.” 662,000, the largest opening week digital sales count ever, was achieved by Lady Gaga’s “Born this Way” with help from the infamous 99-cent sale on Amazon.