'Lover' Lands Title As 2019's Biggest Sales Week

After just one day on sale, Taylor Swift’s Lover album has already logged the biggest sales week of 2019 in the U.S. for an album, reports Billboard.

According to initial sales reports to Nielsen Music, the set sold around 450,000 copies on its first day of release (Aug. 23) — buoyed by strong pre-order sales. Previously, the biggest sales week of the year was notched by the debut frame of Jonas Brothers’ Happiness Begins, with 357,000.

Further, Lover already has the biggest sales week for any album since… you guessed it, Swift’s own reputation bowed at No. 1 with 1.216 million copies sold in its first week (Dec. 2, 2017-dated chart).

Industry forecasters estimate that Lover could finish the week with perhaps over 550,000 copies sold in the U.S. (largely comprised of first-day and pre-order sales, as is the case with many blockbuster albums). Lover’s first-week sales will be aided by the set’s release in four collectible CD editions at Target, as well as dozens of merchandise/album bundles sold through Swift’s official website.

Further, those in the know suggest Lover should easily start at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart (dated Sept. 7) with perhaps over 700,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Aug. 29. (Equivalent album units comprise traditional album sales, track equivalent album [TEA] units and streaming equivalent album [SEA] units.)

The top 10 of the Sept. 7-dated Billboard 200 chart is scheduled to be revealed on Billboard’s websites on Sunday, Sept. 1.