Taylor Swift’s ‘1989’ Sells Over One Million Copies in First Week

Taylor Swift's first pure pop album, '1989,' is a pure success. The album debuted at the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart, selling just over 1.2 million copies.

Swift's sales broke a 12-year-old record, held by rapper Eminem and his 'The Eminem Show' album, according to Billboard. In addition, '1989' is the highest-selling album released in 2014, trumping Sam Smith's 'In the Lonely Hour,' which sold 746,000, and the only album to sell one million copies one week after its release. Swift's disc and the soundtrack for 'Frozen' are the only two albums to sell more than a million copies this year, with 'Frozen' selling 3.5 million copies since its release last year.

The 24-year-old, whose last four albums have all reached the top of the charts, says making an all-pop record is just part of the changes she has experienced in the last few years.

“I think my life has changed in ways that have surprised me,” she says. “Deciding to spend my time in New York, cutting my hair, becoming all of a sudden surrounded by this great group of strong, beautiful, smart women who challenge me and push me forward -- those are all changes in my life.”

The debut single from '1989,' 'Shake It Off,' shot straight to No. 1 as well, selling more than two million copies in the United States. The song, which addresses her naysayers in a comedic way, was an important message for Swift to share.

"I really wanted to kind of take back the narrative and have more of a sense of humor about people who kind of get under my skin -- and not let them get under my skin," she tells NPR. "In the last few years, I've gotten better at just kind of laughing off things that absolutely have no bearing on my real life. I think it's important to be self-aware about what people are saying about you, but even more so, be very aware of who you actually are, and to have that be the main priority."

Swift recently announced her 2015 1989 World Tour, which will kick off on May 20 in Bossier City, La., and travel all over the United States, as well as to five other countries. More dates are expected to be announced at a later date, including shows in Australia and Asia. Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy will open the North American dates, while Shawn Mendes will be performing for the stadium shows.

Download '1989' here.