Taylor Swift’s new single may be inspired by a fall from grace, but if the record-breaking figures behind Look What You Made Me Do are anything to go by, she remains one of the most important people in pop.

Taylor Swift's snake-laden video is on track to be the most-viewed yet 

Look What You Made Me Do was released on Friday, and quickly topped Apple Music, Spotify US and Global Top 50 and Amazon Music charts. The song racked up 189,144 download sales in its first day, leading to a three-day total of 245,000.

The number of song streams was considerably higher, with Spotify reporting it was listened to 23 million times on Monday, more than any other song on the platform.



Swift famously removed her music from streaming services in 2014, arguing that artists should be paid properly for their work. But in June she restored her back catalogue to sites such as Spotify and Apple Music, racking up 47.5 million streams, and an estimated $397,000 (£306,325) in the weeks since. Going on Fortune’s figures, this means Swift could have earned nearly $200,000 since releasing Look What You Made Me Do on Friday from streaming data alone.

After releasing the song’s video during the MTV VMAs Sunday night, Swift’s record-breaking streak continued. The four-minute-long film for Look What You Made Me Do has become the most-viewed music video in 24 hours of the year, with 31 million views. It was attracting 3 million views per hour at its peak.

Swift in the video for Look What You Made Me Do

Swift in the video for Look What You Made Me Do

These numbers are larger than those earned by Despacito, the record-breaking song of the summer featuring Justin Bieber, which was viewed 22 million times, and Adele’s Hello, which was viewed 27 million times in day following its surprise release in 2015.


A little over 24 hours since its release, the reference-laden video is nearing 50 million views, putting it on track to be one of the most viewed of the year so far.