Taylor Swift

 Speak Now (Taylor's Version), released earlier this month, is the third in her endeavour to re-record her first six albums, instigated by music manager Scooter Braun's sale of her early catalogue.

It has officially debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, becoming her 12th album to reach the top spot.

Previously, Barbra Streisand held the record, with 11 No. 1 albums.

Swift ties Drake's record of 12 No. 1 records, but sits just behind Jay-Z, who has 14 No. 1 albums to his name, and the Beatles, who have 19.

Swift tweeted overnight saying: "EXCUSE ME HI I HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY”.

"I can't wait to see so many of you on The Eras Tour next year at these new international dates!"

Swift last visited New Zealand in 2018, where she performed at Auckland's Mount Smart for her Reputation Stadium Tour.

The popstar's Australian shows are in Melbourne on February 16 and 17, and Sydney on February 23, 24, and 25.

BBC News reports Ticketmaster was recently forced to cancel the main sale of tickets on its website, leaving many fans frustrated.

The lawsuit, filed by 26 'Swifties' from across the country, alleges that the company is guilty of fraud, price-fixing and anti-trust violations.

Ticketmaster has yet to comment on the filing.

A US judge has refused Swift's request to dismiss the case, saying a jury may find that her 2014 hit copied girl group 3LW's 2001 tune Playas Gon' Play.

Both tracks feature variations of the phrases "players gonna play" and "haters gonna hate".

The judge had previously rejected the case, saying the lyrics were too "banal" to be copyrighted.

In his original ruling, District Judge Michael W Fitzgerald cited 13 earlier songs that featured similar phrases, including Playa Hater by The Notorious B.I.G. and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.

Red (Taylor's Version) is the American singer's recreation of her fourth album, which also went to number one on its original release in 2012.

It's her second re-recorded album release of 2021, following Fearless.

She plans to re-record and re-release her first six albums in order to have complete control over her music.

The move follows the 2019 acquisition of her master recordings by music mogul Scooter Braun and his subsequent sale of them to an investment fund.

Hanks Johnson, 52, was apprehended on Saturday evening, after a 911 caller reported he was inside the property without permission, police said.

Johnson was charged with criminal trespass and released without bail on Sunday night, they added.

Swift has been plagued by stalkers in the past, with men trying to break into her homes on both coasts of the US.

In 2018, the star won a restraining order against a man who tried to enter her home armed with a knife.

The star is now the most-awarded woman in Grammys history, overtaking bluegrass singer Alison Krauss.

"I am so honoured, I'm so excited," she said while accepting her record-breaking trophy, for best R&B performance.

Taylor Swift also made history at Sunday's ceremony, by becoming the first female artist ever to win album of the year three times.

The star was rewarded for her lockdown album Folklore - after previously winning with Fearless in 2010 and the pop opus 1989 in 2016.

The theme park's owners said Swift's Evermore release had caused confusion about whether the two were linked.

The Utah venue said there was a "dramatic departure from typical levels" of traffic on its website in the week after the album's release.

Swift's lawyers responded that "there is no basis" for the claim.

They wrote in a letter filed in court: "Moreover, your client has suffered no damages whatsoever and, in fact, has openly stated that Ms Swift's album release creates a 'marketing opportunity' for your client's troubled theme park."

Vitoria Mario's online fundraising page details how she has lived in the UK for four years after moving from Portugal.

But she is not eligible for maintenance loans or grants.

Vitoria said: "I was worrying too much about the money, what I have to do and if I have to look for a job. She actually made my dream come true."

The American singer,whose 16 top 10 British chart hits include the aptly titled Wildest Dreams, wrote a message on Vitoria's fundraising page as she confirmed her donation.

The song is taken from her seventh studio album, Lover, the first new music released since her departure from Big Machine Records.

It takes aim at male music executives - in particular Scooter Braun, who purchased her back catalogue last year.

The credits stress the video was directed, produced and owned by Swift.

In the video, the lead character, in heavy prosthetics, stops to relieve himself against an underground wall which has been graffitied with the name of Swift's first six albums - all of which are owned by the Big Machine label.