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Taylor Swift Smashes Ke$ha’s Digital Music Sales Record

Taylor Swift / Photo by Getty Images

She’s already the top-earning musician right now, but months before the release of her new album, Red (which is about heartbreak, of course), she’s still setting records. Last week, Taylor Swift sold 623,000 downloads of her latest single, the declaration of independence “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” according to the BBC. This makes it the best-ever selling download by a female artist, as well as the second largest sales overall of a download by artists of any gender. Previously, Ke$ha held both of those titles for “TiK ToK,” which sold 610,000 downloads in January 2010. Additionally, Billboard reports that “Never Ever” also set a new record for the biggest debut by a woman, which previously belonged to Lady Gaga, who sold 448,000 downloads of “Born This Way” in February 2011.

The distinction of most digital sales by an artist of any gender, though, still belongs to Flo Rida, who sold 636,000 downloads of “Right Round” in February 2009 (and technically, Ke$ha sings the hook on that song, so she’s still got a place at the top!). Check out how the Top 10 overall digital sales weeks break down, according to Billboard, below Swift’s lyric video. So maybe in Swift’s case, it pays to break up with your indie-snob boyfriend?

https://youtube.com/watch?v=gcMn_Eu-XTE%3Fversion%3D3

Billboard’s List of the Top 10 First-Week Digital Sellers, Since SoundScan Began Tracking
636,000, “Right Round,” Flo Rida, February 28, 2009
623,000, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” Taylor Swift, September 1, 2012
610,000, “TiK ToK,” Ke$ha, January 9, 2010
559,000, “Grenade,” Bruno Mars, January 8, 2011
542,000, “Somebody That I Used To Know,” Gotye featuring Kimbra, April 28, 2012
521,000, “Boyfriend,” Justin Bieber, April 14, 2012
509,000, “Born This Way,” Lady Gaga, March 5, 2011
509,000, “Firework,” Katy Perry, January 8, 2011
493,000, “Payphone,” Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa, May 5, 2012
467,000, “Low,” Flo Rida, January 12, 2008
464,000, “Boom Boom Pow,” the Black Eyed Peas, April 18, 2009