Did Taylor just redefine what "imperial phase" means?

[alestevens]

Taylor seemed to have achieved everything a musician could aspire to achieve by the time Midnights' release day came up, but ever since she hasn't stopped to reach new career highs.

 

Starting with breaking streaming and sales records with Midnights, to Anti-Hero becoming one of her biggest hits ever, to the tour being unable to meet demand in every single country it had tickets on sale so far, to having multiple eras smashing at once.

 

Before Midnights, while still being the most successful artist out there, she had lost a lot of her radio pull. Now, she's heading for a 4th radio smash in a row with a 2019 album cut the public decided should be a single.

 

And just like that, we're also heading to yet another likely-to-be super massive event with Speak Now TV.

 

Ever since Midnights dropped, Taylor has been reaching achievements that have either not been seen since The Beatles, or haven't been seen ever before period.

 

The phrase "imperial phase" never seemed more apt than it is to Taylor Swift at this very moment.

 

What do you think?

[Klein]

Yes, she is in her imperial phase. That's pretty much non debatable considering her current domination on all fronts.

 

I don't understand what you mean by "redefining" though. 

[byzantium]

I think every respective imperial phase have their own “fingerprint” and identity that make them unique.  
 

The last couple of years have been incredible to witness for Taylor but so was the 21 era, The Fame Monster, and the 1989 era.

 

I’m just happy we are back to having MPG imperial eras rather than men like Ed in 2017 or Drake 2016-2018.  
 

 

[Taylena]

Can you Swifties please stop talking about numbers, achievements, sales and streaming?  As a stan of XYZ artist that's a very sensitive subject to me. Thank you! 

[Beyonnaise]

Imperial phase 1: Fearless

Imperial phase 2: 1989

Imperial phase 3: Everything since 2020

 

Now with Folklore, the re-recordings, Midnights and the general renaissance of her discography, it’s clear that currently her whole career is being celebrated in a unique way that trumps every other pop star domination phase besides Thriller and 80s Madonna

[Into The Void]

Swifties go 24 hours without creating a bragging thread challenge 

[Finkypop]

The fumes in here already 

 

OT: Yes. Success of her magnitude is once in a lifetime 

[Gorjesspazze9]

I think y’all forgot what actual Megastars are supposed to do. She definitely in her next peak, but y’all reaching a bit. Mariah, Madonna, MJ, Eminem ect. Have had much bigger peaks in just the last 30 years. In fact they all outsold her by a lot.  
so if we are gonna make up a new “Imperial Phase” moniker for her, then that must apply to other Legends

[Feanor]

I don't know if she "redefined" it, but there's no doubt that Taylor is bigger than she has ever been commercially, culturally, critically, touring-wise, popularity-wise… in basically every possible way.

 

Actually the one thing she may have redefined and set a new precedence for is just how unusual it is for this current moment to happen for an artist this deep into their career. I can't think of many examples, if any at all, of someone who inarguably peaked 17 years into their professional careers after already having operated on an insanely high level for most of those preceding years. That's really the most impressive aspect of it all.

[Axelios]

3 minutes ago, Gorjesspazze9 said:

I think y’all forgot what actual Megastars are supposed to do. She definitely in her next peak, but y’all reaching a bit. Mariah, Madonna, MJ, Eminem ect. Have had much bigger peaks in just the last 30 years. In fact they all outsold her by a lot.  
so if we are gonna make up a new “Imperial Phase” moniker for her, then that must apply to other Legends

Mariah, Madonna and Eminem didn't have the same consistency in terms of success especially in the US. Taylor will outsell Mariah too despite the disadvantage of not having released during the peak of album sales.

Edited June 18, 2023 by Axelios

[Steve Johnson]

3 minutes ago, Gorjesspazze9 said:

In fact they all outsold her by a lot.  

Not for long. 

[Gorjesspazze9]

Just now, Axelios said:

Mariah, Madonna and Eminem didn't have the same consistency in terms of success especially in the US. Taylor will outsell Mariah too despite the disadvantage of not having released during the peak of album sales.

Yes they did😭 they were each the biggest solo artist of each decade, and spawn Hit singles & Albums on the year end charts consistently. 

[Steve Johnson]

Today is 17th anniversary of Taylor Swift’s debut single Tim McGraw. Put this in op @alestevens

[Steve Johnson]

Just now, Gorjesspazze9 said:

Yes they did😭 they were each the biggest solo artist of each decade, and spawn Hit singles & Albums on the year end charts consistently. 

Taylor is the biggest artist this decade by far. 

[Gorjesspazze9]

Just now, Steve Johnson said:

Taylor is the biggest artist this decade by far. 

I agree she and Bad Bunny are undisputed 

[Sazare]

No, even Morgan Wallen’s current era is bigger than taylor’s

[Steve Johnson]

Just now, Sazare said:

No, even Morgan Wallen’s current era is bigger than taylor’s

IFPI global artist - #1 Taylor Swift. 
 

[ugo]

9 minutes ago, Gorjesspazze9 said:

I think y’all forgot what actual Megastars are supposed to do. She definitely in her next peak, but y’all reaching a bit. Mariah, Madonna, MJ, Eminem ect. Have had much bigger peaks in just the last 30 years. In fact they all outsold her by a lot.  
so if we are gonna make up a new “Imperial Phase” moniker for her, then that must apply to other Legends

Eminem and Mariah never did stadiums 

[Sazare]

Just now, Steve Johnson said:

IFPI global artist - #1 Taylor Swift. 
 

IFPI is a notoriously dubious institution with numbers adjusted on the whims of industry execs

[thetea]

24 minutes ago, byzantium said:

I’m just happy we are back to having MPG imperial eras rather than men like Ed in 2017 or Drake 2016-2018.  
 

this. 

[Axelios]

3 minutes ago, Gorjesspazze9 said:

Yes they did😭 they were each the biggest solo artist of each decade, and spawn Hit singles & Albums on the year end charts consistently. 

No you can compare Mariah and Madonna first 10 albums to Taylor if you want.

[Steve Johnson]

2 minutes ago, Sazare said:

IFPI is a notoriously dubious institution with numbers adjusted on the whims of industry execs

So we should believe you, a certified OTH? 

[thetea]

6 minutes ago, ugo said:

Eminem and Mariah never did stadiums 

this isn't a good comparison. stadium tours aren't a fully accurate way to measure success. mariah never toured much in her career. even in the 90s when there was huge demand for her. her songs were too vocally demanding to be singing weekly and she didn't seem to be fond of touring so she never did. she offset her lack of tours with constant releases, the only year in the 90s she didn't release anything was 1996. 

Edited June 18, 2023 by thetea

[DoubleRainbow!]

19 minutes ago, Gorjesspazze9 said:

I think y’all forgot what actual Megastars are supposed to do. She definitely in her next peak, but y’all reaching a bit. Mariah, Madonna, MJ, Eminem ect. Have had much bigger peaks in just the last 30 years. In fact they all outsold her by a lot.  
so if we are gonna make up a new “Imperial Phase” moniker for her, then that must apply to other Legends

This 

For example: she had four sold out shows in my country last week (I’m attending one of them) that doesn’t mean everyone is talking about her or she has multiple hits here. she’s a generational phenomenon yeah, but my mom literally asked me: who is that? 
 

it’s not a Michael Jackson or The Beatles type of phenomenon as some swifties are claiming 

Edited June 18, 2023 by DoubleRainbow!

[Solaria]

Madonna already did that when Hung Up went No.1 in 41 countries 22 years into her career and she got her seventh album to sell 10M copies worldwide