Taylor Swift Blocks Kanye West; ‘Tortured Poets’ Tops ‘Vultures 2’

Taylor Swift’s album The Tortured Poets Department has secured its 14th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. This milestone prevents Kanye West, now known as “Ye,” and Ty Dolla $ign’s Vultures 2 from claiming the top spot.

According to Billboard, Swift’s TTPD achieved 142,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. over the past week. The previous album to spend 14 weeks at the top was Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which ultimately logged 19 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1. Adele’s 21 holds the record with 24 nonconsecutive weeks between 2011 and 2012.

Swift, 34, and Ye, 47, have a long-standing and well-documented public feud.

Back in February, West pleaded with Swift’s fans, asking for their understanding as they rallied on social media to support Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em.” This was an effort to prevent West’s songs from reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart while he was promoting Vultures 1, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

“Last year was incredibly challenging for me, my wife, my children, friends and family. I’ve been banned from hotels, kicked out of companies, and not even allowed to eat in some restaurants. Everyone saw Vultures 1 get taken off platforms to limit our first week numbers,” West wrote at the time in a since-deleted Instagram post.

He continued, “Remember I was on Taylor’s side when Scooter [Braun] bought her masters behind her back. She and Beyoncé are big inspirations to all musicians. We always say how both sell out tours and movies. Also, I’m sure I’ve been far more helpful to Taylor Swift’s career than harmful. To all Taylor Swift fans, I am not your enemy. Um, I’m not your friend either though LOL.”

West and Swift’s turbulent history dates back to 2009 when West infamously crashed Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards to praise Beyoncé.

The two appeared amicable in 2015 when Swift presented West with an award, but the peace was short-lived. Their relationship soured again in 2016 when West referenced Swift in his song “Famous.” Swift publicly condemned the lyrics, and West’s then-wife, Kim Kardashian, leaked a secretly recorded phone call between the artists.

Swift retaliated in 2017 with the track “Look What You Made Me Do” from her Reputation album. She later described the 2009 incident as a “fully manufactured frame job” in a December 2023 interview.

In April, it seemed Swift took another jab at Kardashian with her TTPD track, “thanK you aIMee.”

Swift is set to conclude the European leg of her record-breaking Eras Tour in London with five nights at Wembley Stadium, starting August 15. This will be her first performance since a thwarted terrorist attack led to the cancellation of her planned shows in Vienna, Austria, earlier this month.

Swift will resume her tour on October 18, beginning another North American leg at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

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Source: ET Online