Latest news with #countrypop
Forbes
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Taylor Swift's Debut Album Reaches A New Peak Almost 20 Years Later
Taylor Swift's 2006 debut returns to four U.K. charts following her announcement that she now owns ... More the masters to her first six albums, reaching a new peak on two lists. Taylor Swift (Photo by Jason Squires/WireImage) Taylor Swift is having a landmark week on charts around the world after revealing she has finally acquired the rights to her first six albums. For years, Swift has been steadily re-recording and re-releasing her early catalog in an effort to regain control of her work. Many fans have supported that campaign by deliberately avoiding streaming and purchasing the original versions of the projects that initially made her a star. Now that she officially owns the masters to those albums, Swift's entire catalog — especially the first half-dozen studio LPS — is experiencing a renewed surge. One release in particular, Taylor Swift, the self-titled debut that launched her career, is suddenly back in the spotlight. The country-pop singer's 2006 debut appears on four charts in the United Kingdom this week, reentering three of them after being absent just days ago. It becomes a strong seller again as fans revisit the only two albums from that era Swift has yet to re-release, Taylor Swift and Reputation. Although Swift revealed the updated version of Taylor Swift is finished, she hasn't shared it with the world yet, but that has no longer stopped fans from celebrating the original. The self-titled affair breaks into the top 10 on the Official Album Downloads chart for the very first time this week, as it soars to a new peak of No. 6. Previously, it had only reached as high as No. 40, and that was back in March 2009. The jump grants Swift her milestone fifteenth top 10 hit on the U.K. downloads tally. Taylor Swift also reaches a new high on the Official Albums Sales chart in the U.K., climbing to No. 29. The record had not placed on the sales ranking in the previous frame, and this moment marks only the second time it's broken into the top 40 on the list of the top-selling titles in the country. Its prior best was No. 34, which was set just last summer — nearly two decades after its original release. On the Official Physical Albums chart, the debut reenters at No. 42, though it doesn't set a new peak on that roster. Perhaps most notably, Taylor Swift rockets from No. 6 to No. 2 on the Official Country Artists Albums chart, placing Swift just one spot away from claiming yet another week at No. 1. She's held back from the summit by I'm the Problem by Morgan Wallen, which refuses to budge.
BBC News
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
UK Eurovision hopefuls Remember Monday ready to 'put on a show'
They have starred on stage in the West End, taken part together on reality TV and are now the UK's first all-female group to compete at Eurovision this Monday, a country-pop trio from Surrey and Hampshire, take to the stage in Basel in Switzerland on Saturday night hoping to be the UK's first winner since 1997. Holly-Anne Hull, from Camberley, Charlotte Steele, from Farnham, and Lauren Byrne, from Fleet, all co-wrote What The Hell Just Happened? which they hope will "stand out" in the 69th annual contest. The band told BBC Radio Surrey: "We are all theatre girlies and we are not going to shy away from putting on a show." Performing is in the blood of all three band have been friends for 12 years after meeting at sixth-form college in Farnborough studying performing arts. They said: "We just began performing together."Monday was always our day where we had free periods and that's when we would rehearse. "That's where our band name comes from."With studies completed top West End shows followed, including Phantom of the Opera, Six and Matilda. Alongside their stage performances the band stayed together and in 2019 the trio reached the knockout stages of TV reality show The trio made their first of nine appearance on BBC Introducing in Sussex and Surrey in February band said: "BBC Introducing supported us before anyone else did. We will always remember hearing ourselves on the radio for the first time."Melita Dennett, the show's presenter, said: "It's been fantastic to support an act which has come so far through sheer hard work, dogged determination and strong songwriting." Eurovision is now set to give them a global audience. Lauren said: "It's so overwhelming. It doesn't feel real."I'm currently living my dream with my two best friends."Holly-Anne said: "Eurovision is the perfect place to release your inhibitions."We're going to bring loads of fun, energy and hopefully do something that you won't have seen before on the Eurovision stage."Charlotte is, by her own admission, "a huge Eurovision fan". She said: "My parents would often host Eurovision parties and we used to dress up in different outfits and bring food from each country."So is she bringing her whole family to the contest in Switzerland?"We only get two tickets each," she said. "Tickets are like gold dust." Brenda Tuppen, Lauren's great aunt who lives in Thakeham, West Sussex, told BBC Radio Sussex: "I was so excited when they got chosen."They certainly won't get nul points as there are so many of us in the family who will vote for them."Remember Monday's Eurovision song What The Hell Just Happened? chronicles the aftermath of a "fun night out with friends", and, according to the band, has "a lot of influences in there from our favourite artists". Holly-Anne said: "We've thrown the kitchen sink at it."We think it will stand out."
