BTS have been named the best selling global act of 2020
BTS have been named the best selling act of 2020.
The K-pop outfit topped the IFPI poll – the organisation that represents the global recorded music industry, based on worldwide sales, downloads and streams.
They are the first non-Western act to win, and the first whose songs are not predominantly sung in English.
They beat Taylor Swift, who took the crown in 2019, into second place and Drake. The Weeknd finished fourth and Billie Eilish came in at number five.
Congratulations to @BTS_bighit, the winners of the #IFPIGlobalArtistChart 2020! ?
Here’s the top ? in full:
?@BTS_twt
?@taylorswift13
?@Drake@theweeknd@billieeilish@Eminem@PostMalone@ArianaGrande@JuiceWorlddd@justinbieberhttps://t.co/loJ36s5kwP pic.twitter.com/MNz0v3xdtH— IFPI (@IFPI_org) March 4, 2021
Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said: “BTS are a global phenomenon. They have had another outstanding year… and [are] continually finding creative and engaging ways to share their story with the world.
“They truly show the power that music has to bring joy and happiness to people the world over.
“We would like to congratulate RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook and we are excited to see what they have in store next.”
The K-pop juggernauts also topped Twitter’s list of most popular artists in 2020, for the fourth year in a row. The group beat off the likes of Kanye West, Beyoncé and Drake for the most mentions on the social media platform in 2020.
They also recently joined the lineup for Music On A Mission, an upcoming virtual concert and fundraiser by the Grammys’ MusiCares Foundation.
BTS will feature on a never-before-seen set at the upcoming charity event on March 12, which will “honour the resilience of the music community, which has been deeply impacted by the COVID-19”.
The lineup will also feature performances by Haim, H.E.R., Jhene Aiko and John Legend.