Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” not only resonates thematically, but also made a massive impact on the charts. Upon release, it debuted at No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, generating the biggest first week for a single in four years in the U.K. It racked up 132,000 chart units in its first week—bolstered by 14.9 million streams—while simultaneously kicking off a Top 3 clean sweep with Opalite at No. 2 and Elizabeth Taylor at No. 3. In the U.K., this strong showing also helped The Life of a Showgirl become her fastest-selling album to date, with the album and single each claiming the No. 1 spot in their respective charts.

Across streaming platforms, “The Fate of Ophelia” broke records. On Spotify, it logged 30,987,370 plays in a single day—making it the most-streamed song in a day in Spotify history—and pushed Swift’s top 12 tracks from the album to occupy the entire Top 12 on that chart. Simultaneously, the single claimed the No. 1 spot on global Apple Music and dominated various national streaming and sales charts. What might have been a tragic metaphor in Shakespeare’s Hamlet is transformed in Swift’s hands into a triumph of popularity and cultural reach.