Bold statement: Taylor Swift has once again proven she’s the global music leader, dominating as the best-selling artist of 2025. But here’s where it gets controversial: is sheer volume of sales and streams enough to define “the biggest” when the industry’s landscape keeps changing?
Here’s the rewritten take that preserves all details while clarifying for newcomers and keeping a professional, engaging tone.
Taylor Swift Clinches Global Artist of the Year 2025, IFPI Confirms
LONDON — American pop star Taylor Swift has been named the world’s top-selling artist of 2025 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), marking her fourth straight year at the pinnacle and the sixth time overall that she has earned the award.
Swift, who is 36, amplified her success in 2025 with the October release of her twelfth studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl. The album set multiple streaming records and helped drive strong engagement across music formats. Additionally, the release of a documentary series about her record-breaking The Eras tour contributed to her global visibility.
In announcing the year’s results, IFPI highlighted 2025 as a landmark period for Swift, noting exceptional worldwide engagement across streaming, physical sales, and digital formats. The organization cited the combined impact of the new album and the tour documentary as key drivers of her continued dominance.
IFPI notes that Swift has now tied or surpassed the record for most wins of its Global Artist of the Year prize within the past decade, achieving this level of success across more than ten years of the award’s history. The prize reflects an artist’s or group’s worldwide sales across streaming, downloads, and physical formats in the calendar year, considering their entire body of work.
Swift surpassed Stray Kids, the South Korean boy band that finished second — marking Stray Kids’ highest-ever ranking and their third straight year in the global top five.
Bad Bunny, fresh off a high-profile Super Bowl halftime appearance, ranked fifth, continuing his streak of top-five finishes for six consecutive years.
Rounding out the list, Tyler, The Creator made his first appearance on the IFPI chart in 12th place, with IFPI noting continued strong vinyl sales across his catalog. Japanese rock band Mrs. Green Apple joined the rankings for the first time, landing just below him and following the success of their anniversary album 10.
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