The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1933 by Francesco Braga. It operates a secretariat based in London, with regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Nairobi.
The Digital Songs or Digital Song Sales chart ranks the best-selling digital songs in the United States, as compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by Billboard magazine. Although it originally started tracking song sales the week of October 30, 2004, it officially debuted in the issue dated January 22, 2005, and merged all versions of a song sold from digital music distributors. Its data was incorporated in the Hot 100 three weeks later. Since October 2004, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboard's music singles charts. The decision was based on the dramatic increase of the digital market while commercial single sales in a physical format were becoming negligible.
Taylor Alison Swift is an American singer-songwriter. A subject of widespread public interest, she has been named by various publications as one of the greatest songwriters. Her artistry and entrepreneurship has influenced the music industry and popular culture, and she is an advocate of artists' rights and women's empowerment.
The American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift has released 10 original studio albums, 4 re-recorded studio albums, 5 extended plays, and 4 live albums. She has sold an estimated 114 million album units worldwide and, in terms of pure sales, tallied 46.6 million in the United States and 7 million in the United Kingdom. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), her albums have garnered 51 million certified units in the United States. As of February 2024, she is the solo artist with the most weeks (69) at number one on the US Billboard 200.
BTS, also known as the Bangtan Boys, is a South Korean boy band formed in 2010. The band consists of Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, who co-write or co-produce much of their material. Originally a hip hop group, they expanded their musical style to incorporate a wide range of genres, while their lyrics have focused on subjects including mental health, the troubles of school-age youth and coming of age, loss, the journey towards self-love, individualism, and the consequences of fame and recognition. Their discography and adjacent work has also referenced literature, philosophy and psychology, and includes an alternate universe storyline.
The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditional album sales. The album-equivalent unit was introduced in the mid-2010s as an answer to the drop of album sales in the 21st century. Album sales more than halved from 1999 to 2009, declining from a $14.6 to $6.3 billion industry. For instance, the only albums that went platinum in the United States in 2014 were the Frozen soundtrack and Taylor Swift's 1989, whereas several artists' works had in 2013.
Lover is the seventh studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on August 23, 2019, by Republic Records. It is her first album after her departure from Big Machine Records, which caused a public dispute over the ownership of Swift's past albums.
"Cruel Summer" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift from her seventh studio album, Lover (2019). The song was written by Swift, Jack Antonoff, and St. Vincent, and was produced by Swift and Antonoff. "Cruel Summer" is a synth-pop, industrial pop, and electropop song composed of synths, wobbling beats, and vocoder-manipulated vocals. The lyrics are about an intense romance during a painful summer.
King Gnu is a Japanese band formed in 2013. It consists of: Daiki Tsuneta, Satoru Iguchi, Kazuki Arai (bassist) and Yu Seki (drummer). The band's main songwriter is Daiki Tsuneta, who also performs as part of the creative collective Millennium Parade.
Map of the Soul: 7 is the fourth Korean-language and seventh overall studio album by South Korean boy band BTS. The album was released on February 21, 2020, by Big Hit Entertainment. It is the follow-up to their 2019 extended play Map of the Soul: Persona, with five of its songs appearing on the album. Described by BTS as "deeply personal", the album is influenced by their journey and growth of seven years since their debut. Map of the Soul: 7 has been described as a pop, R&B, and hip-hop record that contains influences from urban contemporary genres like rock, trap, and EDM. Lyrically, it touches upon themes of reflection, introspection, and self-acceptance.
Certified Lover Boy is the sixth studio album by Canadian rapper and singer Drake, released on September 3, 2021, by OVO Sound and Republic Records. Its production was handled by frequent collaborators 40, Nineteen85, PartyNextDoor, OZ, and Vinylz, among others. Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Giveon, Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, Young Thug, Yebba, 21 Savage, Project Pat, Tems, Ty Dolla Sign, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Kid Cudi appear as guest artists. It is the first part of what Drake described as a "trilogy" of albums, that also includes the follow-ups Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss.
BTS, the Best is the second Japanese-language compilation album by South Korean boy band BTS. It was released on June 16, 2021, through Big Hit Music, Universal Music Japan sublabel Virgin Music and Def Jam Recordings. The album is a compilation of their previous two Japanese-language studio albums, Face Yourself (2018) and Map of the Soul: 7 – The Journey (2020). It was a commercial success in Japan, reaching number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, and earned the biggest first week sales for an album in 2021 domestically. BTS became the first South Korean group to surpass the 1 million sales mark for an album in the country.
"My Universe" is a song recorded by British rock band Coldplay and South Korean pop group BTS. It was released on 24 September 2021, through Parlophone and Atlantic Records, as the second official single from Music of the Spheres, Coldplay's ninth studio album. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming BTS' sixth US chart-topper and Coldplay's second after 2008's "Viva la Vida". The single is also the first track by two co-billed lead groups to top the chart and the first song by a British group to debut at number one in the United States' history.
South Korean boy band BTS was formed in 2010 and debuted in 2013. The septet has had a significant cultural impact both in Korea and internationally, and is considered one of the leading figures of the Hallyu wave in the 21st century. The commercial influence of BTS upon the Korean economy, along with their philanthropic and other commercial ventures, has received extensive attention in the press and in financial markets.
Proof is the first anthology album released by South Korean group BTS, on June 10, 2022, through Big Hit Music. The 3-disc project comprises several of the band's singles through the years; a selection of discography "favorites" chosen by the band members; and various demos and previously unreleased tracks. It also includes five new songs: the album's lead single "Yet to Come ", "Run BTS", "For Youth", "Quotation Mark", and "애매한 사이".
Midnights is the tenth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, released on October 21, 2022, by Republic Records. Swift conceived it as a concept album about nocturnal ruminations inspired by her sleepless nights. The autobiographical songwriting explores broad emotions such as regrets, self-criticism, fantasies, heartbreak, and infatuation, using confessional yet cryptic lyrics that allude to her personal life and public image.
"Anti-Hero" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and the lead single from her tenth studio album, Midnights (2022). Swift wrote and produced the song with Jack Antonoff. It is a pop rock and synth-pop song driven by a 1980s-inspired drum loop generated with a LinnDrum and retro synthesizers such as the Juno 6 and the Prophet 5. Inspired by Swift's insecurities, the lyrics focus on self-loathing and the impact of fame on her wellbeing; the bridge narrates a nightmare where her daughter-in-law murders her for her last will. Republic Records released the song for download and streaming on October 21, 2022.
Golden is the debut studio album by South Korean singer Jungkook of BTS, released on November 3, 2023, through Big Hit Music. Primarily a pop record, it was met with generally favourable reviews from critics. It features guest appearances by Jack Harlow, Major Lazer, Latto and DJ Snake, it was preceded by the singles "Seven" and "3D"; and a third, "Standing Next to You", which was released concurrently with the album.
