She may have moved into pop music, but Taylor Swift has secured herself a new record in the world of country.
The star, 31, has seen her re-recording of her past hit “Love Story” — now called “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” — meet massive success.
The tune has topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, which is based on airplay, sales and streaming numbers.
The occasion marks Swift’s first debut in the position, and her eighth time filling the spot overall, according to Billboard.
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Among those eight was the original version of the song when it was released back in 2008.
Taylor Swift is the second artist to top Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart with two versions of the same song after ‘Love Story (Taylor’s Version)’ debuted at No. 1.
(Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
Topping the chart with two different versions of the same song has only been done once before — and it was by country legend Dolly Parton.
The star’s iconic “I Will Always Love You” hit No. 1 in June 1974 before again filling the position in October 1982 when Parton, now 75, updated her recording. Parton charted a third time for the song in 1995 when she released a duet version of the song with Vince Gill, though it only hit No. 15.
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“This is my first time having a No. 1 debut on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and I’m so grateful to the fans for making this a possibility,” Swift said in a statement to Billboard. “They’re the ones who emboldened me to reclaim my music and they really showed up this week to see it through.”
She added: “It blows me away that they’ve sent a song to No. 1 that had its first life over a decade ago. I couldn’t be happier that it happened now, and in this way.”
Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ topped the chart twice. (Photo by Taylor Hill/Getty Images)
Billboard reports that “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” has also topped Country Digital Song Sales, having sold 25,000 downloads in its first frame.
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The song is not being actively promoted to radio stations for airplay and has already drawn 1.1 million all-format airplay audience impressions in the week ending Feb. 21. Most of the airtime came from pop, adult contemporary and adult pop stations, but country radio was responsible for 9% of that audience.
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The last time Swift hit the top spot on Hot Country Songs was a 10-week streak in 2012-13 with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”
Additionally, she is now the first artist to lead Hot Country Songs in the 2000s, ’10s and ’20s.
