"THE MAN" IN MANDARIN: TAYLOR'S CHINESE COUP

The scuttlebutt is that Taylor Swift’s Lover can chalk up another milestone: first-week sales north of 1 million in China.

The Republic set’s triumph follows in the wake of news that Chinese behemoth Tencent is wrangling a 10% stake in parent company UMG—with an option to acquire a bigger piece—so it’s fair to assume that the powerhouse bow by the House of Grainge’s flagship superstar is reflective of growing access and influence in this gigantic market.

The big Chinese action on Lover accompanies a killer U.S. first week; the new set has overperformed—especially on streaming services—and insiders now say a chart debut as high as 900k is very possible. Taylor remains a force of nature and has been working every conceivable lever to guarantee this success.

In a related story, Chinese parents are said to be nonplussed at having their children yelling “You need to calm down” at them.