In the ever-shifting sands of the music charts, a titan has toppled another. Eminem has surged to the top of the Billboard 200, displacing Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department after its impressive 12-week run at number one. This marks a monumental shift, as the 34-year-old pop sensation aimed for a symbolic 13th consecutive week atop the charts — a nod to her well-known favorite number.

Eminem, 51, and his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), notched 281,000 units sold, outpacing the competition significantly. Swift’s album slid to the fourth spot, managing 82,000 units in its 13th week. Positioned between these two giants were Enhypen and Zach Bryan, whose albums sold 124,000 and 88,000 units respectively, highlighting a remarkable week for music sales.

Swift’s streak, while historic, ended just shy of establishing a new personal record, yet it further cements her status as a formidable chart juggernaut. Her album’s initial release was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon, with Swifties propelling her to unprecedented chart dominance — occupying the top 14 slots of the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, a feat that smashed her previous record.

On social media platforms, the discourse was as heated as the chart battle itself. Taking to Instagram, RapTV announced Eminem’s chart-topping victory over Swift on Monday, July 22. The caption read, “#Eminem has ended #TaylorSwift’s 12-week run at number 1 on the Billboard 200 charts with ‘The Death of Slim Shady’‼️👀 Taylor held the number 1 spot for 12 weeks with ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ but Eminem will be taking the top spot this week. Y’all rockin’ with it⁉️”

This post quickly became a battleground for fans from both camps. Eminem supporters reveled in the rapper’s triumph. One fan exclaimed, “Not every hero wears capes,” while another declared, “He has ended our suffering! Can’t beat the goat!”

On the flip side, Swift’s fans were quick to defend their icon. A Swiftie retorted, “I wanna know how did an album with the lyric ‘tryin gen z me bruh’ get number 1,” referencing a lyric from Eminem’s new hit “Trouble.” Another chimed in, “The album was still dookie.”