Swiftie Bilal Ilyas Jhandir, 20, of Pakistan, broke the record for the most Taylor Swift songs identified in a minute, earning him a coveted place in the Guinness World Records. For the devoted admirer of Taylor Swift, the announcement on January 26 was a historic day.
With an astounding 34 singles picked at random from Taylor Swift’s top 50 best-selling songs, Bilal broke the previous record set by UK radio announcer Dan Simpson in 2019 (who picked 27 songs).
The achievement is even the more remarkable considering that there was no music playing to accompany the lyrics. Bilal, who identified as a “die-hard” follower of Taylor Swift, said, “I have listened to each and every song of hers. I can identify almost any song of hers from the lyrics.”
In order to be ready for this incredible accomplishment, Bilal spent a full 13 weeks listening. He was so dedicated to the cause that even at night he would recite the songs.
Though he found the work difficult, Bilal regarded it as “easy” because he naturally remembered the lyrics to Taylor Swift’s songs from his frequent listening habits. Declaring himself to be the “Officially Amazing Swiftie,” Bilal was proud to call the pop diva his hero and said that breaking the record was the “best way on Earth” to convey how much he loved her.
Bilal, who has been a fan of Taylor Swift since he was thirteen, believes that “Folklore” is his favorite album because he admires the singer’s sincerity and the profundity of her words.
Bilal already holds two other Guinness World Records, so this victory adds to his already impressive list of accomplishments. He set a record in 2021 for the most animals (23), identified by sound, in a single minute. By correctly identifying the words to the most Justin Bieber songs (29 in total) in under a minute in 2023, he broke yet another record.
