"Payola + bots": Internet reacts after Taylor Swift becomes the first artist to sell 10M total album units in the United States

Taylor Swift took the internet by storm after her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, shattered major sales records. On October 10, 2025, Chart Data announced on X that Swift had achieved an unprecedented milestone.

“Taylor Swift becomes the first artist to sell over 10 million total album units in the US in 2025,” the post read.

The aforementioned X post featuring Swift’s sales numbers, however, drew divided opinions online. Many users celebrated the milestone as proof of Swift’s unmatched influence and artistry, while others cast doubt on how those numbers were achieved.

One X user criticized Swift’s accomplishment, claiming it was the result of marketing manipulation.

“Payola + bots = Taylor Swift,” the user wrote.

Several netizens also questioned the authenticity of the album’s sales figures in their comments.

However, many others praised Swift as a true icon, celebrating her record-breaking success and continued dominance in the music industry.

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Taylor Swift breaks record with The Life of a Showgirl amid criticism over album marketing

Taylor Swift (Image via Getty Images)

According to The New York Times, Taylor Swift’s record-breaking sales for The Life of a Showgirl marked a defining moment in modern music, surpassing a milestone many once considered unreachable.

A decade earlier, Adele’s 25 had set a towering benchmark with its single “Hello,” which sold 3.5 million copies in its opening week.

But with The Life of a Showgirl, released on October 3, 2025, Swift managed to surpass even that. Initial data compiled by tracking firm Luminate revealed that the album logged the equivalent of at least 3.5 million U.S. sales. This was achieved just within five days of album release.

However, the achievement was not without controversy. According to a report by Forbes, some fans and critics accused Swift of employing aggressive marketing tactics to dominate the charts.

The 35-year-old artist partnered with major tech companies Apple and Google to promote the album. She also launched more than two dozen “exclusive” versions that featured different artwork and bonus content, including poems, voice memos, and acoustic tracks. Critics argued that the move encouraged “overconsumption” and exploited her fanbase’s loyalty.

Even so, The Fate of Ophelia singer remained unfazed by the backlash and even addressed it directly. Speaking to Apple Music’s Zane Lowe on October 7, she acknowledged that being a “showgirl” came with its critics, and she embraced that role completely.

“I have a lot of respect for people’s subjective opinions on art… I’m not the art police. Everybody is allowed to feel exactly how they want,” she explained.

Swift even found a strange beauty in all the attention, good or bad, surrounding her work.

“The rule of show business is, if it’s the first week of my album release, and you are saying either my name or my album title… you’re helping,” she quipped.

Beyond that, Taylor Swift also said that she didn’t dwell on those who might not immediately relate to her new work. Swift believed her music was built for longevity.

“We’re doing this thing for keeps… I have such an eye on legacy when I’m making my music. I know what I made. I know I adore it,” she said

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At present, Taylor Swift is busy with the promotional run for her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl. Her single “The Fate of Ophelia” from the album broke the Spotify record for most streams in a single week, according to Variety.

Edited by Shayari Roy