K-pop powerhouses BTS have clinched the IFPI Global Recording Artist Of The Year for 2021, beating out Adele and Taylor Swift.
Yesterday (February 24), the International Federal of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced BTS’ win during a countdown on Twitter. This new accolade makes BTS the first artist to win the Global Recording Artist Of The Year two years in a row, having first won the title in 2020.
“We are truly honoured to receive the IFPI Global Recording Artist Of The Year award,” said leader RM. “We heard this is the first time ever any artist received [the] Artist Of The Year two years in a row, so we feel blessed for such a significant title.”
This is the moment @BTS_twt’s RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook received their trophy for this year’s #IFPIGlobalArtistChart, officially the winners of 2021’s IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award! 🏆✨ pic.twitter.com/s8EiFvcy8P
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 24, 2022
According to the IFPI, the ranking of the Global Recording Artist Of The Year accolade is determined by an act’s global performance across digital and physical music formats, including streaming and vinyl, spanning their entire discography.
Aside from BTS, musicians such as Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake and Ed Sheeran had rounded out the Top Five of the IFPI’s Global Artist Chart, followed by The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber and Olivia Rodrigo were included in the remaining top 10. Notably, fellow K-pop boyband SEVENTEEN made their debut appearance on at Number Nine.
Congratulations again to BTS, the winners of this year's #IFPIGlobalArtistChart!
Here is a quick recap of the top 10 👇
🏆 @BTS_twt
🥈@taylorswift13
🥉@Adele@Drake@edsheeran@theweeknd@billieeilish@justinbieber@pledis_17@oliviarodrigo👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/x9CCUCn0zH
— IFPI (@IFPI_org) February 24, 2022
“BTS’ phenomenal success over the last year is a testament to their creativity, hard work and ongoing commitment to continuing to find ways to bring their music to the world,” said IFPI chief executive Frances Moore in a statement, per Billboard.
“By performing in three different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal and their dynamic and passionate fanbase has helped to make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart in two consecutive years,” he added.
In other news, BTS member Jungkook made his first-ever solo appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Stay Alive’, produced by bandmate Suga. Jungkook is the fourth member of the band to score a solo entry on the chart, following J-Hope, Suga and V.