How Taylor Swift blocked Kanye West’s ‘Vultures 2’ album from No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200

Taylor Swift is dominating the Billboard 200 chart, with her album The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD) holding the No. 1 spot for 14 consecutive weeks.

Meanwhile, Kanye West, now known as ‘Ye,’ is struggling to claim the top position with his second studio album, Vultures 2, a collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign, currently at No. 2.

According to Billboard, TTPD moved 142,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. last week, maintaining its grip on the No. 1 spot for 14 weeks. The last album to achieve 14 weeks at No. 1 was Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time, which held the position for 19 nonconsecutive weeks. Adele’s 21 previously held the record with 24 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 between 2011 and 2012.

The chart battle between Swift and Ye is particularly notable given their long-standing feud. In February, West pleaded with Swift’s fans, insisting he’s “not your enemy,” as they launched a social media campaign to support Beyoncé’s Texas Hold ‘Em, which prevented his songs from reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. This occurred while West was promoting Vultures 1, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

“Last year was incredibly challenging for me, my wife, my children, friends, and family. I’ve been banned from hotels, kicked out of companies, and not even allowed to eat in some restaurants. Everyone saw Vultures 1 get taken off platforms to limit our first-week numbers. This reminds me of the mistreatment of my people because of the color of our skin,” West wrote on Instagram, though he later deleted the post.

He continued, “Remember I was on Taylor’s side when Scooter [Braun] bought her masters behind her back. She and Beyoncé are big inspirations to all musicians. We always say how both sell out tours and movies. Also, I’m sure I’ve been far more helpful to Taylor Swift’s career than harmful. To all Taylor Swift fans, I am not your enemy. Um, I’m not your friend either though LOL.”

The feud between Swift and West dates back to 2009 when West infamously interrupted Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards to praise Beyoncé.

Although the two appeared to have reconciled in 2015, tensions flared again when West referenced Swift in his song “Famous,” leading to public objections from Swift. She responded in 2017 with her track “Look What You Made Me Do” from her Reputation album, describing the incident as a “fully manufactured frame job” in a 2023 interview with Time.

As Ye attempts to dethrone Swift’s TTPD album, the chart battle between the two continues to captivate fans and the music industry alike.