Spotify ’ sulfur 2021 Wrapped celebrates this idea—the millions of weird and fantastic ways to listen and live in a world that continues to keep us on our toes. today, we unveil the top artists, albums, songs, podcasts, and more that defined how more than 381 million people around the world listened and discovered audio during a year that turned “ unprecedented ” into, well, precedented .
As usual, Wrapped helps us reflect on the large function audio played in the lives of our listeners—and how our favorite creators soundtracked the populace around us .
The top artists, songs, and albums globally
For the second year in a row, Puerto Rican Reggaeton leading Bad Bunny takes the title of most-streamed artist in the global on Spotify. And what ’ s more : He ’ s received over 9.1 billion streams without releasing a new album this year. He is swiftly followed by singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, whose Red (Taylor’s Version) gave previous and new fans alike a reason to relive the artist ’ s early groundbreaking work. Rounding up 2021 ’ s top three is BTS. The globally beloved k-pop group had a standout year thanks to their single “ Butter. ” Canadian rap artists Drake —who released Certified Lover Boy in September—and Justin Bieber —whose 2021 album Justice featured collaborations with artists from across the globe—take spots four and five, respectively.
The top birdcall of 2021 globally is Olivia Rodrigo’s runaway “ drivers license, ” which garnered over 1.1 billion streams. Lil Nas X’s viral “ MONTERO ( Call Me By Your Name ) ” dances its way to second position and heralded the artist ’ s first studio apartment album. The Kid LAROI enters the ranks for the first time, with his Justin Bieber collaboration “ STAY ” taking third. The one-fourth blemish sees Olivia Rodrigo once again, this prison term with “ beneficial 4 u, ” which besides earned the entitle of 2021 Spotify Song of the Summer. The fifth most stream song to rise in the ranks is Dua Lipa’s “ Levitating ( feat. DaBaby ). ”
When it comes to top albums of 2021 globally, Olivia Rodrigo once again claims the crown—her debut album SOUR intelligibly held a bit of bouquet. Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia ranks second, with Justin Bieber’s Justice, Ed Sheeran’s =, and Doja Cat’s Planet Her coming in one-third, one-fourth, and fifth .
The top podcasts globally
Coming out of its inaugural full class as a Spotify exclusive, The Joe Rogan Experience remains the number-one podcast on Spotify globally. It is followed by the audacious Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy, which besides became exclusive to Spotify in 2021. True crime and news program continue to be popular genres within the medium, with Crime Junkie, TED Talks Daily, and The Daily rounding out the list.
Notable trends of 2021
When we looked at trends on Spotify in 2021, the top songs, artists, albums, and podcasts weren ’ t the merely things we found. We learned about the moments that united listeners—and the ones that were celebrated for their singularity .
Nostalgia played a function in people ’ s listening in 2021 as fans rediscovered old favorites—and new generations adopted them a well. Let ’ s confront it : There are certain songs and albums that good sound like home ( in a dear way ) .
