In just five days, the project has already amassed over 3.5 million equivalent album units — a figure that includes both traditional sales and streaming consumption. This shatters the long-standing record held by Adele’s 2015 blockbuster, 25, which debuted with 3.482 million units nearly a decade ago.
Remarkably, Swift broke Adele’s mark with two days still remaining in the tracking week, meaning her final total could climb even higher by Sunday’s chart close.
While Adele still narrowly holds the record for pure album sales, that title appears to be in jeopardy as well. After five days, Showgirl had sold 3.2 million full albums, just shy of 25’s 3.378 million in its first week. For both albums, direct sales — not streaming — make up the overwhelming majority of total units.
Much of Swift’s success comes from an extensive pre-order campaign and a savvy release strategy that keeps fans continuously engaged. Throughout the week, she has dropped multiple CD and digital variants of the album, each featuring exclusive acoustic bonus tracks. The latest, a limited-time digital edition, was available exclusively through her webstore for 24 hours beginning Tuesday afternoon.
Typically, Luminate (formerly Soundscan) does not publish midweek sales data, but the scale of Swift’s success has prompted exceptional updates. Official figures will arrive Sunday when Billboard unveils its Top 10 on the Billboard 200.
With Showgirl, Swift has also broken her own career record. Her previous high was 2.61 million units for The Tortured Poets Department in 2024 — a figure she has already exceeded by roughly 600,000 units in less than a week.
Industry analysts suggest the album could approach or even surpass 4 million units by the end of the week, a milestone no one expected in the streaming era.
These historic achievements are based on chart tracking since 1991, when Soundscan began maintaining reliable weekly data — meaning Swift now holds the highest one-week album total of the modern era.
The album’s success also mirrors Swift’s dominance beyond music. Just weeks ago, she topped the U.S. box office with Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, which earned $33 million over a three-day limited run, priced at $12 per ticket.
With The Life of a Showgirl, Swift has not only surpassed industry legends but also reaffirmed her position as the defining artist of her generation — one whose creative momentum shows no sign of slowing.