Taylor Swift superfan Bilal Ilyas Jhandir has staked his claim as the world’s number one Swiftie by breaking the record for the most Taylor Swift songs identified from their lyrics in one minute.
The 20-year-old from Pakistan correctly named a total of 34 songs, smashing the previous record of 27, set by Dan Simpson (UK) in 2019.
Here's Bilal Ilyas Jhandir and his super knowledge of Taylor Swift lyrics which allowed him to set his record for most Swift songs identified by their lyrics in one minute 💫 pic.twitter.com/YtEdAtDoG7
— Guinness World Records (@GWR) January 29, 2024
Swift’s top 50 best-selling songs were compiled into a list in random order, from which Bilal was tasked with identifying each song from its beginning lyrics, read aloud by a human without any accompanying music.
“I have been listening to Taylor Swift since my childhood. I am a die-hard fan of her,” Bilal revealed. “I have listened to each and every song of hers. I can identify almost any song of hers from the lyrics.”
Bilal decided to break this record as he believed it was the “best way on Earth” to demonstrate his “extraordinary love” for Taylor Swift, who holds multiple Guinness World Records titles of her own.
Although he regularly listens to her music and says he already knew all her song lyrics, Bilal spent 13 weeks preparing for the record attempt to ensure he achieved as high a score as possible.
This involved “extensive listening sessions”, which resulted in the songs becoming so ingrained in Bilal’s brain that he says he often recited lyrics aloud while sleeping.
Due to his thorough preparation, Bilal says his record attempt proved to be “an easy task”, although he admits that having the lyrics spoken by a man, instead of sung by Swift, added an extra layer of difficulty.
Bilal has been listening to Taylor Swift since he was 13, and names “absolute masterpiece” Folklore as his favourite album.
“The thing I like the most about her is her way of writing out-of-this-world songs that always hit the bottom of my heart,” he said.
“The authenticity in her songwriting, the emotional depth in her lyrics, and her ability to connect with listeners on a personal level are all the things that I admire most about Taylor Swift.”
This is Bilal’s third Guinness World Records title – he achieved his first in 2021 for the most animals identified from animal sounds in one minute (23), and last year he broke the record for the most Justin Bieber songs identified from their lyrics in one minute (29), surpassing the previous record by seven.
“This record is my favourite of all of them,” Bilal said. “Being called a ‘Certified Swiftie’ or ‘Officially Amazing Swiftie’ is such an incredible feeling.”
I want to tell Taylor Swift and fellow Swifties that breaking this record was a tribute to her impact on my life as well as on the lives of countless fans worldwide. I hope it brings a smile to fellow Swifties. – Bilal
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