Pakistani Swiftie breaks Guinness World Record for naming Taylor Swift songs

A certified Swiftie, indeed!

A Swiftie from Pakistan is now the world's number one Swiftie after naming more than thirty songs from Taylor Swift's discography in a minute.

According to Guinness World Records, 20-year-old Bilal Ilyas Jhandir correctly named a total of 34 songs, smashing the previous record of 27, set by Dan Simpson of the United Kingdom in 2019.

The top 50 best-selling songs of the American pop star were compiled into a list in random order, and Bilal was tasked to identify each song from its beginning lyrics that were read aloud by a human without any accompanying music.

In an interview with Guinness, Bilal, who considers himself a "die-hard fan," said that he has been listening to Taylor Swift since his childhood.

"I have listened to each and every song of hers. I can identify almost any song of hers from the lyrics," he said.

The feat marked Bilal's third Guinness World Records title. The first one was in 2021, for the most animals identified from animal sounds in one minute, and last year where he broke the record for the most Justin Bieber songs identified from their lyrics in one minute.

But for him, this Taylor Swift world record was his "favorite of them all" as being called a "certified Swiftie" is such an "incredible feeling."

When asked why he decided to take and break the record, he believed that it was the "best way on Earth" to demonstrate his "extraordinary love" for the pop star.

Bilal said he spent 13 weeks preparing for the record attempt to ensure he achieved as high a score as possible.

Some of the preparation he did was "extensive listening sessions" and he says he often recited the lyrics aloud while sleeping.

While it was "an easy task" for him, Bilal admitted that having the lyrics spoken by a man, instead of sung by Swift, added an extra layer of difficulty.

Bilal said Folklore is his favorite Taylor Swift album, calling it an "absolute masterpiece." 

"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."

—Jade Veronique Yap/MGP, GMA Integrated News