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For the first time since 2003, British music artists have not secured spots in the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s (IFPI) annual top 10 global charts for singles or albums. This marks a significant shift from previous years, where UK acts like Ed Sheeran, Adele, and Harry Styles consistently dominated international rankings.
In 2024, American artist Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” won the year’s best-selling single, while Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” dominated the worldwide album chart. Notably, Swift’s album topped a number of categories, including global album sales, vinyl album, streaming album, and total album charts, with 5.6 million units sold.
The top British artist was Artemas, whose single “I Like The Way You Kiss Me” peaked at number 15 on the global singles chart. This lack of UK artists in the top 10 is unprecedented in more than two decades.
Industry players call this loss due to several reasons, namely increased competition from Korea and Latin American artists abroad. There were a total of four top 10 biggest-selling albums owned by South Korean boy bands alone in 2024, which bears witness to increasing K-pop domination of the global music industry.
British Phonographic Industry chief executive Jo Twist acknowledged the challenge, stating UK record labels excel at nurturing emerging talent but creating artists overseas is now more difficult in a “hyper-competitive global music economy.” She pointed out that streaming has leveled the playing field, opening up for artists from other markets access to worldwide success and making it, therefore, more competitive for artists from the UK.
Despite the current situation, new British talents like Lola Young, Central Cee, and Myles Smith have gained traction locally and internationally in recent times, showing the potential for a comeback. Central Cee’s debut album, “Can’t Rush Greatness,” has been highlighted as the potential game-changer for UK rap internationally.
The UK music sector also faces other issues, such as rising touring expenses and the closure of grassroots music venues that play a key role in developing new talent. These issues, combined with the evolving world music landscape, underscore the need for strategic interventions to market and advance UK artists worldwide.
As the industry gets used to these changes, the future of the Brit Awards will seek to celebrate and emphasize British talent, with visions of reviving the position of British artists on global charts in the years ahead.
