2021 was a huge year for some of our favorite artists that gifted us so much throughout the year. New music, new albums, amazing performances and so many feelings. And if you need proof that your fave was a hit last year, the top 10 list of Global Recording Artists by IFPI is all you need.
We’re going to look through the top 3 artists on that list and their achievements from 2021. Here are some of the successful things BTS, Taylor Swift and Adele did last year.
BTS
Even without a new album, what a year was 2021 for BTS. They achieved more number ones on the Billboard Hot 100 with their singles ‘Butter’ and ‘Permission To Dance’ and then with their collaboration with Coldplay ‘My Universe’. According to Billboard, BTS had three of their songs become the top 10 best selling songs in the U.S. – ‘Butter’, ‘Permission To Dance’ and even their 2020 hit ‘Dynamite’ were on the list.
The release of ‘Butter’ in May was definitely a successful one. It gathered four Guinness World Records on YouTube, including most viewed Youtube music video in 24 hours. On Spotify, ‘Butter’ had the biggest song debut in the platform history with 11 million streams in a day, and held this crown until October when Adele topped it with ‘Easy On Me’. Butter was the fourth song in the IFPI Global Digital Single Chart from 2021, – proof that it was the song of the year for BTS. And now the group have their second Grammy nomination with ‘Butter’.
The group also charted in number four on the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart with their Japanese album with their greatest hits, BTS, the Best. Another great achievement for BTS last year was winning Artist Of The Year at the American Music Awards, being the first Korean act to do so.
2021 was without a doubt a year to remember for BTS. Can’t wait to see what 2022 will bring to the group.
Taylor Swift
Miss Swift kicked off the year by taking home the Grammy award for Album Of The Year with folklore, becoming the first female artist to win the category three times. Then she decided that 2021 was the year to bring all the feels from different eras to us once more. Taylor’s Version of the albums Fearless and Red dropped last year topping the charts, both albums entered the top 10 of the 2021 IFPI Global Album Sales Chart. Red (Taylor’s Version) and evermore are number 6 and 10 on the Global Vinyl Album Chart, proving that Taylor’s music is worth listening to in every way.
Taylor decided to bring all the pain by releasing a 10 minute version of ‘All Too Well’ and a short film with it. The song debuted at number one on the Hot 100, becoming the longest song in history to do so.
She received the Global Icon Award at the Brit Awards in May and the Songwriter Icon Award by the National Music Publishers Association, proving her unmatched talent.
What to expect from Taylor Swift in 2022? We’re ready for more!
Adele
After a six-year long hiatus, Adele blessed our 2021 with new music in a brand new album. She got us ready and thirsty for more with the main single ‘Easy On Me’, that broke the record on Spotify and Amazon Music for the most streamed song in the first 24 hours. She topped iTunes charts all around the world and got nearly 15 million views on YouTube in the first eight hours after the release of the music video for the single. ‘Easy On Me’ reached number one on the Hot 100 and on the UK Charts.
After teasing every single one of us with the number 30 spread around the world on landmarks and buildings, on November 19 she released her fourth studio album entitled 30. All the songs from the album topped the Spotify charts on its release week. The album topped three IFPI charts, Global Album All Format Chart, Global Album Sales Chart and Global Vinyl Album Chart. Things only a queen can achieve.
We’re not expecting anything new music-wise from Adele this year, but what we can’t wait for is to listen to 30 live in concerts, two of them happening in July in London which are already sold out.
What a year for those acts! So much was achieved and so much was delivered. It all left us craving for more.
Who do you expect to be on the top IFPI top 3 this year? Let us know below.