KUALA LUMPUR: After making history last year for being the first Asian act to win the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, K-Pop juggernaut BTS has won it again this year.
The win was announced yesterday on the official Twitter account of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), a non-profit organisation that represents the recording music industry worldwide.
Its annual Global Recording Artist of the Year recognises an act's worldwide popularity across digital and physical music formats, from streaming to vinyl.
According to Reuters, BTS three singles from last year — Butter, Permission To Dance and My Universe — had all topped the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The seven-member music outfit's Japanese-language greatest hits album, BTS, THE BEST, had also topped Japan's Oricon Year End Album Chart at the end of 2021, making it a first for a non-domestic act in 37 years.
IFPI chief executive Frances Moore said in a statement that, "By performing in three different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal."
He added: "Their dynamic and passionate fan base has helped to make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart in two consecutive years."
The rest of the IFPI Top 10 in descending order were Taylor Swift, Adele, Drake, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, SEVENTEEN and Olivia Rodrigo.
Meanwhile, BTS is currently preparing for its Permission To Dance On Stage concerts in Seoul, South Korea in March and Las Vegas, USA in April.
The global K-pop sensation will also be making an appearance at the Grammy Awards on April 4.