NEW YORK – A cold war between American pop music titans – or at least their mobilising fan bases and record labels – turned into a digital arms race as Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish gunned for the No. 1 spot on the upcoming Billboard 200 (dated June 1) chart.

Swift, 34, has occupied the top of the Billboard 200 for four weeks with her blockbuster new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which has earned more than 3.6 million equivalent album sales (counting physical purchases, downloads and streams) following its launch on April 19.