Taylor Swift by Valheria Rocha | Official Press Photo courtesy of StokedPR
Rather than performing on release day, Taylor Swift hit the “Good Morning America” stage one day prior to the launch of new album “Lover.”
The downside to the move is that track sales generated today will not count toward the album’s opening week number, which is dictated by activity in the August 23-29 tracking period.
The upside is that it ensures the tracks will have momentum when the album arrives at midnight.
In a testament to that momentum, Swift’s “You Need To Calm Down” is up to #4 on the US iTunes sales chart as of press time at 12PM ET Thursday, while “ME! (featuring Brendon Urie)” is up to #18. Swift performed both songs, as well as her enduring pop hit “Shake It Off,” during the “GMA” concert.
Swift additionally appears at #7 on the chart with “Lover,” the just-released title track from the album. “Lover” will receive an additional boost later today when Swift releases the official music video.