US artists claimed the biggest albums along with K-pop bands such as Seventeen, while Irish artist Hozier mixed with US stars Noah Kahan, Benson Boone and Billie Eilish on the singles chart.
However, there was still plenty to celebrate, she said, with new generations of acts breaking through: “Charli XCX [enjoyed] a breakthrough year globally, alongside international chart successes for emerging artists such as Jordan Adetunji, Artemas and Good Neighbours, while the likes of Lola Young and Myles Smith are now rapidly building an international following.”.
Kendrick Lamar came in at number eight with his Grammy-winning diss track, “Not Like Us”, while Irish artist Hozier’s song “Too Sweet”, from an extended version of his 2023 album Unreal, Unearth, was at number six.
Four out of five of the world’s biggest albums of the year were by women, with Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft and Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet at number two and three, respectively.
For the first time in over two decades, British pop stars failed to make it into the worldwide annual chart of the year’s top 10 best-selling singles or albums.