REPUBLIC VS. IGA:
MONTE'S GRAND SLAM

We’ve been blathering on about Republic’s extended, history-making hot streak since last fall, but this week the story gets an exclamation point.

Interscope Geffen A&M had been the #1 label group since 2019—that’s four straight years of dominance—until now. A boost from Taylor Swift’s multiple hit albums and streams, along with yet another six-figure week for Big Loud/Mercury’s Morgan Wallen, has lifted Monte Lipman’s pumped-up label to the top spot in overall marketshare YTD, with 9.48% to IGA’s 9.45%. Yes, it’s that close.

But the story isn’t just about this week—it’s about how gigantic those two megastars have been for all 28 weeks this year. They’re the two biggest acts in the business right now—and Drake and The Weeknd ain’t chopped liver either, for that matter. Cumulatively, Taylor has racked up 5.55m total units this year, while Morgan has tallied 4.79m. Those numbers are so towering that we’re getting vertigo just from typing them.

Expect this thrilling duel between the two behemoths to continue through the rest of the calendar year, as Teams Lipman and Janick trade home runs like Ohtani and Judge.