Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" has shattered album sales records, surpassing 3.5 million equivalent album units in its first five days. This achievement dethrones Adele's "25," which held the record for nearly a decade. While Adele still holds the pure album sales record, Swift is closing in rapidly, having sold 3.2 million units. Swift has strategically released album variants to maintain sales momentum throughout the week, with forecasters predicting even higher final numbers.

Prepared by Emily Rhodes and reviewed by editorial team.