She’s done it again, again. Taylor Swift’s single “willow†debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — a day after its accompanying album, evermore, debuted at No. 1 as well. The debut for “willow†marks the third time an artist has ever debuted an album and song at No. 1 in the same week, after Swift herself first did it four and a half months prior with her first 2020 surprise album, folklore, and its lead single “cardigan.†BTS also accomplished the feat with Be and “Life Goes On†in November, but Swift becomes the only artist to net a double No. 1 debut twice. She buoyed “willow†on the charts with a few different mixes of the song, including the “dancing witch (Elvira remix)†that she released after evermore, along with the “lonely witch†and “moonlight witch†versions. It logged sales and streams just under “cardigan,†and became her seventh-ever No. 1 song, along with “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,†“Shake It Off,†“Blank Space,†“Bad Blood,†and “Look What You Made Me Do.†Swift joins a select group of musicians with three No. 1 debuts (“Shake It Off†also debuted up top) that includes Mariah Carey, Drake, Justin Bieber, and Travis Scott. Only Ariana Grande has more with five.
Yet unlike with folklore, “willow†is Swift’s only evermore song to debut in the top ten, thanks to a record-breaking six Christmas songs in the top ten this week. Mariah Carey’s two-time leader “All I Want for Christmas Is You,†Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,†Bobby Helms’s “Jingle Bell Rock,†Andy Williams’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,†and José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad†all remain in the top after last week’s previously record-tying five Christmas songs, while Burl Ives’s “A Holly Jolly Christmas†joins the group to make six. Merry Swiftmas, indeed.