IFPI Names Taylor Swift As World's Best Selling Recording Artist
By: Andre Paine for Music Week
Date: March 2nd 2020
Taylor Swift may have missed out at the Grammys and the BRITs, but she has picked up a coveted sales award from the IFPI. The international recording industry trade body has named Swift as the world’s best-selling recording artist of 2019. It is the second time Swift has won the award – the US singer first triumphed in 2014.
Swift released her transatlantic chart-topper Lover (Virgin EMI) in August 2019. It debuted at No.1 in more than 10 countries and reached three million album-equivalent sales worldwide by the end of its first week of release.
Me!, the first release from the album, opened at number one on the global Spotify charts. The Music Week interview with Taylor Swift is available here.
Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said:
“Taylor Swift is the epitome of a truly global star. She continues to grow as an artist and maintains an incredibly strong connection with her fanbase, whilst continuing to evolve her sound with each album. It is a pleasure to be able to present her with the Global Recording Artist of the Year award for the second time.
“The Top 10 showcases some of the brightest and most talented artists from around the world, from newer stars, such as Billie Eilish and BTS, to legacy acts like The Beatles and Queen. This range demonstrates how people’s love of music can be continually ignited by new and diverse artists and yet endures across decades. I congratulate all the artists in the chart.”
Previous recipients are One Direction (2013), Taylor Swift (2014), Adele (2015), Drake (2016 & 2018) and Ed Sheeran (2017).
