Taylor Swift soars in at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated April 24) with Fearless (Taylor’s Version). Released April 9, the set earned 291,000 equivalent album units, with 179,000 in sales, in its first week, ending April 15, according to MRC Data.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) includes 26 tracks, including re-recordings of all 13 songs on the original Fearless, which was released in November 2008. The new set also features six bonus songs added to a 2009 reissue of Fearless (dubbed the Platinum Edition) and Swift’s 2010 single “Today Was a Fairytale.”
The new LP further houses six newly-recorded “From the Vault” songs that were written for the original Fearless album but were never released until now.
The original Fearless debuted at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart dated Nov. 29, 2008. It proceeded to rule for 35 weeks, the seventh-longest reign in the chart’s 57-year history.
Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is the only No. 1 album of its kind, an artist’s re-recording of one of its own (or another’s) albums. It’s worth noting, however, that other country artists have long re-recorded songs from their respective catalogs, with Merle Haggard especially notable for the practice, as well as Dolly Parton.
Swift’s updated Fearless becomes her sixth No. 1 on Top Country Albums and first since Red in 2012-13, after which she segued more fully to pop. Concurrently, the new LP roars in as her eighth No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200.
With 291,000 units earned, Swift’s new set scores the largest week for any album in 2021. It passes the arrival of Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album (265,000 units, Jan. 23). Plus, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) earns the largest week for a country album since Luke Bryan’s Kill the Lights opened with 345,000 units in August 2015.
Swift further scores the biggest debut streaming week for a country album by a woman: 143 million on-demand streams of the new release’s tracks, shattering Maren Morris’ former record of 24 million streams earned by Girl in its first week in March 2019. Morris helped hand over the mark: she’s featured on the new album’s “You All Over Me (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault).”
Over on the Hot Country Songs chart, which blends airplay, sales and streaming data, Swift tallies 18 entries from her new set, the most ever in a week by a woman (besting her own prior high of 12 in November 2012, thanks to the debut of Red).
Leading her haul, Swift nets her 26th Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Mr. Perfectly Fine (Taylor’s Version)” rockets 20-2. It drew 14.2 million U.S. streams and starts atop Country Streaming Songs, marking her fifth leader.
On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, “Fine” flies 90-30, becoming Swift’s 80th top 40 hit, the most among women and a sum surpassed overall only by Drake (119), Lil Wayne (84) and Elvis Presley (81, dating to the chart’s August 1958 inception). Plus, five songs from the new album debut, upping Swift’s total to 136 career entries, extending her record for the most among women.
‘MADE FOR’ THE TOP 10 Jake Owen earns his 12th Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Made for You” jumps 11-4, up 65% to 6.5 million streams and 6% to 1,900 sold. On Country Airplay, it surges 6-2 for a new high, up by 15% to 25.6 million audience impressions.
“You” is Owen’s first top 10 since “Homemade,” which reached No. 5 in March 2020. The latter also became Owen’s eighth No. 1 on Country Airplay.
‘GOOD’ GOING Country Airplay is led for a second week by Gabby Barrett’s “The Good Ones.” Her second consecutive career-opening No. 1, which increased by 13% to 29.6 million, marks the first multi-week leader by a woman since Maren Morris’ “The Bones” ruled for two frames in February 2020.
‘HELL,’ YEAH Eric Church’s “Hell of a View” becomes his 16th Country Airplay top 10. Church raises “Hell” 13-8, up 15% to 17.8 million in audience.
NOT A ‘NOBODY’ Plus, Dylan Scott adds his third Country Airplay top 10 as “Nobody” climbs 12-9 (17.4 million, up 6%). He last hit the upper tier with “Hooked,” which snagged a No. 2 peak in September 2018.
