Taylor Swift Enjoys Resurgence As “Blank Space” Returns to the Charts

Taylor Swift’s well-known hit “Blank Space,” which held the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for an impressive seven weeks back in 2014, has made a notable re-entry into the chart for the week dated August 19. This marks its first appearance on the chart since its initial 36-week run in 2014-2015.

Last week, “Blank Space” re-emerged with 8.4 million streams in the U.S., along with 4.3 million radio airplay audience impressions, which remained largely consistent week-over-week. Additionally, the song saw 1,000 downloads sold, marking a substantial 51% rise. These figures were reported by Luminate, a trusted music industry source.

This resurgence in popularity for the song can be attributed to Taylor Swift’s ongoing performances of it during The Eras Tour, as well as the anticipation generated by the announcement of her re-recorded version of the 1989 album, now titled “1989 (Taylor’s Version),” set to release on August 9. These streams encompass listenership not only in the U.S. but also across around 200 other countries.

Scheduled to release on October 27, “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” marks Swift’s fourth re-recorded project from her musical catalog. The original 1989 album had an impressive 11-week stint at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2014-2015, matching the record set by her album “Fearless” as her longest-standing No. 1 album.

“Blank Space” holds a significant place in Taylor Swift’s discography, serving as her third No. 1 hit and maintaining its position for seven weeks. It remained her longest-leading chart-topper until “Anti-Hero” claimed the record with an eight-week reign from last November through January. Furthermore, the song earned notable accolades, including Grammy Award nominations for record of the year, song of the year, and best pop solo performance.

The re-entry of older songs like “Blank Space” into the Hot 100 chart is a result of them ranking in the top 50 and having valid reasons for their resurgence. This phenomenon is observed occasionally when catalog songs experience viral resurgences or are reintroduced through new promotions. An example of this is Swift’s “Cruel Summer,” which originally released in 2019 but made a resurgence, climbing to No. 3 on the Hot 100 due to a new promotional push.