K-pop kings BTS get global music crown for 2nd year running

[LONDON] K-pop superstars BTS were named the 2021 IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year on Thursday (Feb 24), making them the first act to win the award 2 years running.

The seven-member boy band has led a global K-pop craze since 2013 with their upbeat songs and dances, building a huge and loyal fan base around the world.

Last year, their singles "Butter", "Permission to Dance" and "My Universe", a joint release with Coldplay, all topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

They continued to enjoy success at home in South Korea and their Japanese-language greatest hits album, "BTS, THE BEST", topped Japan's Oricon Year End Album Chart at the close of 2021, the first for a non-domestic act in 37 years, IFPI said.

"By performing in 3 different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal," Frances Moore, chief executive of the IFPI music industry body, said in a statement.

"Their dynamic and passionate fan base has helped to make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart in 2 consecutive years." The IFPI award is calculated according to a music act's performance across digital and physical formats.

American singer Taylor Swift came in at no 2 in the IFPI Global Artist Chart, also for the second year in a row, followed by British star Adele in third place. REUTERS