Taylor Swift’s Catalog Up Over 20% Following ‘Eras Tour’ Film Release

18 October, 2023

Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up column, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.

This week: Taylor Swift’s blockbuster-debuting Eras Tour documentary spurs yet another bump for her entire catalog, while a pair of TikTok hits take off in JaidynAlexis’ “Barbie” (not from THAT Barbie) and Aliyah’s Interlude’s (not THAT Aaliyah) “It Girl.”

**Fun Autumn: Eras Concert Film Boosts Taylor Swift’s Streaming Catalog by Over 20%**

The wins keep accumulating for Taylor Swift following the global release of her The Eras Tour concert film last Friday (Oct. 13). With $92.8 million grossed in North America in its opening weekend and $30.7 million internationally, The Eras Tour scored the biggest box office debut for a concert film ever. And in the process of bringing out Swifties to experience the career-spanning stadium show, the movie also gave their favorite superstar’s catalog a sizable streaming and sales boost as fans listened to their favorite songs before and after hitting the multiplex.

During the first four days of the film’s release (Oct. 13-16), Swift’s catalog earned a combined 207.9 million on-demand U.S. streams — a 22.2% increase in streams over the previous Friday-to-Monday tracking period (170.1 million streams), according to Luminate. Meanwhile, Swift’s digital sales more than doubled between those four-day periods, from 15,400 over Oct. 6-9 to 38,400 over Oct. 13-16. Perhaps the most valuable catalog boost is still a few days away, though: “Cruel Summer,” which has been lingering in the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 for months following its viral resurgence, could finally hit No. 1 on the chart next week. – JASON LIPSHUTZ

The Year of Barbie Rages On With JaidynAlexis’ New Streaming Smash

Greta Gerwig’s wildly successful Barbie movie may have already danced to one billion dollars at the worldwide box office – and launched hits for Nicki Minaj, Ice Spice, Dua Lipa and Billie Eilish in the process – but the year of Barbie is far from over. Although JaidynAlexis and her new streaming smash have nothing to do with the iconic blonde doll, “Barbie” relies on the cultural cachet of the doll as a symbol of beauty to fulfill its hit potential. “I’m a bad lil’ b–ch and I’m snipped like a Barbie/ Hips, lips, a–, in a Cartier/ I’m his favorite mother—r/ Hello, motherf—r,” she spits in a menacing, half-whispered cadence. JaidynAlexis, the partner of “Thotiana” rapper Blueface – who is currently embroiled in a seemingly endless back-and-forth with reality TV star (and mother of his child) Chrisean Rock – only started releasing music this year, and she’s already truck gold on her fourth official single.

According to Luminate, “Barbie” has earned a little over 1.48 million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Oct. 6-12, an eye-popping 830.7% increase from just under 160,000 streams during the period of Sept. 30-Oct. 5. It’s still rising: From Oct. 13-16, “Barbie” collected over 1.2 million streams. In addition to her wide reach as a social media influencer, TikTok has quickly latched onto the hit, with many users expressing delight and surprise at how catchy the song’s hook is. The official “Barbie” sound has amassed over 90,000 posts in two weeks, with the track’s official music video reaching 2.69 million views on YouTube in the same time frame.

Blueface, who wrote and provided ad-libs for the track, hasn’t seen the Billboard Hot 100 since a 2019 collaboration with Rich the Kid, titled “Daddy.” Should “Barbie” continue to grow at this rate, the LA rapper could see substantial success on the Billboard charts for the first time in several years. – KYLE DENIS

Aliyah’s Interlude Emerges As The Internet’s Newest “It Girl” Thank To New Viral Hit

Best known for cultivating the “#AliyahCore” fashion aesthetic – “a hodgepodge of Y2K, alternative and harajuku style,” as described by The New York Times — social media personality Aliyah’s Interlude has made her first foray into music with the gloriously campy “IT GIRL.” Comprised of a combination of pop affirmations and a thumping dance beat courtesy of LxnleyBeats. The song is the perfect musical encapsulation of Aliyah’s online persona: brash, spunky, and uncompromisingly self-confident. “IT GIRL” has quickly enraptured its intended audience on TikTok, earning over 97,300 posts on the app for its official sound, and a further 276,700 posts for the sped-up version. Most creators are using the various versions of the song to soundtrack clips of them flaunting the confidence the track gives them.

According to Luminate, “IT GIRL” has collected a little over two million official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Oct. 6-12, a 144.8% increase from just under 850,000 streams during the period of Sept. 30-Oct. 5. On Tuesday (Oct. 17), the song, Aliyah’s debut single, launched at No. 1 on the global Spotify Viral 100 chart, remaining at No. 1 in the U.S. and at No. 2 globally the following day. Over on YouTube, the song’s official audio uploads (the original and sped-up versions) have earned a combined two million views in just two weeks. With social media in the palm of her hands, Aliyah’s Interlude is just getting started. — K.D.