" Even ifPoetshad not sell a single digital album in the latest tracking week , it still would have been No . 1 on the Billboard 200 , " Billboard said of this retiring week .

One of the most frequent critiques I hear ofTaylor Swiftis that she manipulates her standing in the album charts by releasing endless variants ofThe Tortured Poets Department, which boosts her album sales. That, it’s speculated, is why we’ve seen Taylor spend15 weeksat number one.

This week, Chappell Roan’sThe Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princessscored#2 on the album charts — behind, of course, Taylor. Though the latterdidrelease plenty of digital album variants this week, as Billboard writer Keith Caulfieldnoted, “Even ifPoetshad not sold a single digital album in the latest tracking week, it still would have been No. 1 on the Billboard 200.”

So, I decided to look back through Keith’s summaries of chart data compiled by Luminate during other artists' releases to see how Taylor’s strategy did or didn’t change. Now, album charts are calculated via ametriccalled equivalent album units. This is comprised of digital and physical album sales, track equivalent albums (calculated via someone buying multiple songs from the album), and streaming equivalent albums (a calculation using the number of streams, both paid and ad-supported). I’m just going to use the first weeks of other artists' releases for comparison, but I highly suggest looking through the data yourself if you want a more nuanced take week-by-week.

So, of the major releases this summer, did Taylor “block” other artists from debuting at number one on the album charts?

Billie Eilish: Potentially

Charli XCX: No

Eminem: No

Stray Kids: No

Ye and Ty Dolla $ign: Potentially

TL;DR:TTPDis incredibly successful.

Taylor Swift performs on stage wearing a long dress adorned with handwritten lyrics, striking a dramatic pose with curly hair and a confident expression

Chappell Roan in a vibrant sequined outfit with star decorations and gold fringes, performing passionately on stage with a microphone

Taylor Swift performing, wearing a sparkling crop top, high-waisted shorts, and a white long coat, holding a microphone with her hand raised

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Billie Eilish stands on the red carpet in a ruffled white blouse under a dark jacket, adorned with a small red pin, with flowers in the background

Charli XCX wears a cropped leather jacket and patterned pants while walking outdoors

Eminem performs on stage, wearing a hooded jacket and holding a microphone, with drum sets in the background

The image shows members of the music group Stray Kids performing on stage. They are wearing stylish outfits while singing and dancing

Ye and Ty Dolla $ign on stage with dramatic lighting and smoke effects. One performer gestures with their hand while the other stands facing them