Here Are The Most Streamed Artists And Songs Of 2021, According To Spotify
Turns out, everyone's been going through it in 2021.
Spotify has just released the data on Australian listening habits for the last year, and I guess my question is, how we all doing out there?
I mean, obviously, 2021 was a constant clusterfuck, what with our lives permanently being disrupted by the international spread of that whole coronavirus thing. So it’s kinda nice to know that we all dealt with that deeply unpleasant psychological battle by listening to our feelings, and hoovering up some of the most heartfelt, emotive songs on the planet.
For a start, Taylor Swift was Australia’s most-streamed artist of the year. Who else but Swift could soundtrack a quasi-apocalypse, what with her towering and trembling songs of self-determination and distress?
Following that heartbreak theme, Olivia Rodrigo’s SOUR was the most streamed record in 2021, as we all collectively got together and reminisced about the first person to break our heart. The single most streamed track of the year, by contrast, was Glass Animal’s ‘Heat Waves’. That’s a chirpier tune, for sure, but it still has a beautiful undercurrent of melancholy and pain, hiding under those shimmering beats.
Oh, and as to the most streamed local artist, that plaudit goes to the one and only Kid LAROI. The young rapper has had an extraordinary 12 months, picking up an ARIA and collaborating with Justin Bieber, so it makes sense that his name is all over Spotify’s charts — a whopping three of his songs made the list of most streamed songs by an Australian artist, with ‘STAY’ taking out the number one spot.
As to the international streams, the top artist on Spotify in 2021 was rapper Bad Bunny, who clocked a whopping 9.1 billion streams. Second in the list was Taylor Swift, third was BTS, Drake was fourth, and Justin Bieber was fifth.
As to the most listened song of 2021, that title was nabbed by ‘drivers licence’ by Olivia Rodrigo, a heartbreaking work of self-determination, shortly followed by Lil NAS X’s ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’, one of the most complex and anthemic pop hits of the year.
Just goes to show — when things get tough, the tough dive into the saddest, most triumphant songs ever recorded.
Spotify 2021 Wrapped
Most Streamed Artists Globally
1. Bad Bunny
2. Taylor Swift
3. BTS
4. Drake
5. Justin Bieber
Most Streamed Songs Globally
1. ‘drivers license’ by Olivia Rodrigo
2. ‘MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)’ by Lil Nas X
3. ‘STAY (with Justin Bieber)’ by The Kid LAROI
4. ‘good 4 u’ by Olivia Rodrigo
5. ‘Levitating (feat. DaBaby)’ by Dua Lipa
Most Streamed Albums Globally
1. SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo
2. Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
3. Justice, Justin Bieber
4. =, Ed Sheeran
5. Planet Her, Doja Cat
Most Popular Podcasts Globally
1. The Joe Rogan Experience
2. Call Her Daddy
3. Crime Junkie
4. TED Talks Daily
5. The Daily
Spotify 2021 Wrapped — Australia
Most streamed songs – Australia
‘Heat Waves’ by Glass Animals
‘drivers license’ by Olivia Rodrigo
‘STAY (with Justin Bieber)’ by The Kid LAROI
‘good 4 u’ by Olivia Rodrigo
‘WITHOUT YOU’ by The Kid LAROI
Most streamed songs by Australian artists
1. ‘STAY (with Justin Bieber)’ by The Kid LAROI
2. ‘WITHOUT YOU’ by The Kid LAROI
3. ‘Astronaut In The Ocean’ by Masked Wolf
4. ‘SO DONE’ by The Kid LAROI
5. ‘Fly Away’ by Tones And I
Most streamed artists – Australia
1. Taylor Swift
2. Justin Bieber
3. Drake
4. Ed Sheeran
5. The Kid LAROI
Most streamed Australian artists
1. The Kid LAROI
2. The Wiggles
3. Hilltop Hoods
4. AC/DC
5. Flume
Most streamed albums – Australia
1. SOUR, Olivia Rodrigo
2. =, Ed Sheeran
3. F*CK LOVE (SAVAGE), The Kid LAROI
4. Justice, Justin Bieber
5. Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa
Most streamed podcasts – Australia
1. The Joe Rogan Experience
2. ABC News Briefing
3. Casefile True Crime
4. Hamish & Andy
5. The Update