Taylor Swift Shatters Female Download Record

Billboard reported today that Taylor Swift has broken Britney Spears’ 2008 record for best first-week download sales by a female artist with her current single, “Today Was a Fairytale.” The track sold 325,000 and is set to debut at No. 1 on Billboard’s Digital Songs chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both charts will be released tomorrow morning (1/28).

“Fairytale,” from the upcoming film Valentine’s Day, in which Swift co-stars, gives her the best Hot 100 start of her career and equals her highest peak, established with “You Belong with Me” this past August. Unlike “Fairytale’s” quick ascent, “Belong” took 16 weeks to reach the runner-up position.

Swift claims her first No. 1 on Digital Songs, having previously peaked at No. 2 with a pair of tracks; “You’re Not Sorry” (November, 2008) and “Jump Then Fall” (November, 2009). The only higher sales frame posted by one of her titles occurred during Christmas week 2008 when “Love Story” moved 360,000 downloads.