Taylor Swift's 'The Fate of Ophelia' Becomes Her Longest-Running No. 1 Single in the U.K.

The Fate of Ophelia has officially set a new U.K. record for Taylor Swift, reaching a seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official Singles Chart dated December 5. With this milestone, the track now stands as her most enduring chart-topper in the country.

Included on the album The Life of a Showgirl, the song first claimed the top position in October, remaining there for three straight weeks. It was briefly displaced for two weeks by Kpop Demon Hunters Golden, before making a strong return and holding the summit for another four consecutive weeks.

This achievement pushes past Swifts 2022 hit Anti-Hero, which previously held her longest U.K. reign at six consecutive weeks. In total, she has now earned five No. 1 singles in the U.K., including:

• Look What You Made Me Do (2017) two weeks
• Is It Over Now? (Taylors Version) (2023) one week
• Fortnight (2024) one week

The Life of a Showgirl has also become Swifts 14th No. 1 album in the United Kingdom. She currently holds the record for the most U.K. No. 1 albums by an international artist and is tied for second place overall alongside The Rolling Stones. Above them are only The Beatles and Robbie Williams, each with 15 chart-toppers.

Elsewhere on the chart, RAYEs Where Is My Husband! maintains its position at No. 2. Seasonal mainstays are also climbing, with WHAM!s Last Christmas and Mariah Careys All I Want For Christmas Is You reaching No. 3 and No. 4 respectively.

At No. 16, HAVENs I Run continues to chart despite controversy surrounding its use of artificial intelligence. The song gained attention on TikTok, where listeners noted similarities to British singer Jorja Smiths voice. Smith herself questioned the origin of the vocals publicly.

HAVEN, a project led by U.K. producers Harrison Walker and Jacob Donaghue, confirmed that AI-assisted tools were involved in the production, while denying that Jorja Smiths voice had been used to train the model. Following concerns, the track was removed from several streaming platforms and ruled ineligible by the Official Charts Company.

A revised version of I Run, now featuring vocals from Kaitlin Aragon, has since been reinstated on streaming services. This week, Smiths label, FAMM, requested a share of the songs royalties, emphasizing that the issue extends beyond a single artist or recording.

Author: Natalie Monroe