Even with Taylor Swift on top, K-pop mania sweeps Global Album Sales 2024: Seventeen, Stray Kids dominate

The Taylor Swift effect continues to sweep music charts, and IFPI’s latest data is here to prove it.

On February 18, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, i.e. the “voice of the recording industry worldwide,” announced that the American pop superstar had been named the Global Recording Artist of the Year 2024. Thanks to her recording-breaking Eras Tour and 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” the songbird’s fan engagement across the board was off the charts.

Taylor Swift is IFPI’s Global Recording Artist of the Year for the fifth year (3rd in a row)

Despite missing out on a Grammy win this year, the “Love Story” singer’s latest IFPI milestone marks her fifth overall Recording Artist of the Year win – for the third consecutive year. It also helped her earn an edge over any other artist, becoming the top pick to win the Global Recording Artist of the Year Award over the past 12 years of IFPI honour. In addition to the 2024 victory, she previously won the same title in 2014, 2019, 2022 and 2023.

K-pop is the leading genre on the Global Albums Sales Chart 2024

Even with her leading the overall competition, K-pop fever especially took over the IFPI Global Album Sales Chart 2024, with 9 out of the Top 10 spots swept by South Korean music acts like ENHYPEN, SEVENTEEN, Stray Kids, IVE, and more.

But then, even the Top 20 rankings were dominated mainly by K-pop acts. The Hallyu wave lost only three spots to other artists in the Top 20 Global Album Sales Chart 2024. As we already know, the first one was taken by Taylor Swift (#1). Meanwhile, Chinese singer Zhou Shen (#11) and J-pop band Snow Man (#17) gatekept the other two.

Most K-pop groups in the Top 20 occupied multiple ranks. SEVENTEEN owned two spots for its most recent albums, “SPILL THE FEELS” and “17 IS RIGHT HERE.” Then, Stray Kids earned two positions for “ATE” and “HOP.” NCT DREAM’s “DREAM()SCAPE” and “DREAMSCAPE,” aespa’s “Armageddon” and “Whiplash,” and TOMORROW X TOGETHER’s “minisode 3: TOMORROW” and “The Star Chapter: SANCTUARY” also made waves on the Top 20 albums sales chart.

Top 20 IFPI Global Album Sales Chart 2024

K-pop artists shine in other categories

Except for dominating the Global Album Sales Chart, the K-pop genre also bled into other categories. SEVENTEEN claimed the third position on the Global Artist Chart 2024. The same chart saw Stray Kids and ENHYPEN stand at #5 and #14, respectively.

Moreover, ENHYPEN’s “ROMANCE: UNTOLD” (#4), SEVENTEEN’s “SPILL THE FEELS” (#6) and “17 IS RIGHT HERE” (#8), and Stray Kids’ “ATE” (#10) made a name for themselves on the Top 20 IFPI Global Album Chart 2024.