Overview

• Billboard, citing Luminate, reports a U.S. midweek total of 3.5 million equivalent album units for The Life of a Showgirl, surpassing Adele’s 25 at 3.482 million.
• The tally comprises 3.2 million traditional sales and roughly 300,000 streaming-equivalent units, leaving Swift about 180,000 shy of Adele’s pure-sales record with final figures due Sunday.
• Vinyl sales reached 1.2 million on day one, setting a new all-time record for the format.
• Dozens of collectible editions across retailers and Swift’s webstore, including limited 24-hour versions, concentrated pre-orders and boosted first-week totals.
• Critical and fan reactions are mixed even as consumption soars, with Swift telling Zane Lowe she welcomes the discussion around the release.