Not simply responsible for driving interest in new single “Bad Blood,” Taylor Swift’s ample Billboard Music Awards exposure spurred a significant sales increase for her “1989.”
According to Nielsen Music, “1989” moved approximately 40,000 traditional copies during the May 18-24 tracking week. The album’s best weekly sales total in over two months, the tally tops the previous week’s count by 86%.
Naturally, the explosive interest in Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” produced an even more significant gain in track sales (and thus total consumption units).
“1989” posted a consumption total of 37,000 units during the previous, May 11-17 tracking week. Since roughly 21,500 came from pure sales and “1989” does not receive any boost from streaming, the remaining 15,500 came in the form of Track Equivalent Albums. Per the Billboard/Nielsen methodology, each of those TEA units is equivalent to ten track sales. “1989” thus moved approximately 155,000 tracks during the May 11-17 tracking week.
“Bad Blood” comprised 47,000 of those copies.
This week, Swift’s “1989” posted a consumption total of 91,000 units; 51,000 came in the form of TEA. “1989” thus moved approximately 510,000 individual tracks during the May 18-24 tracking week. Paid “Bad Blood” downloads comprised the majority of those sales.
“1989” appears at #2 on this week’s consumption-oriented Billboard 200. “Bad Blood” tops the Digital Songs chart and is also expected to claim #1 on the all-encompassing Hot 100.
