Goodbye Adele, hello Egyptian hip-hop.
English-language pop is being eclipsed by new stars from the Middle East, Asia and Latin America who are building a worldwide fan base through social media.
The 60-year dominance of Western music stars is coming to an end, the IFPI’s 2022 Global Music Report found.
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) was the world’s fastest growing region in 2021, recording a 35 per surge in revenues.
TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are helping Afrobeat singers such as Gyakie, from Ghana, and now snapped up by the Sony Music giant, score instant worldwide hits.
Korean K-Pop stars BTS were the world’s best-selling artist of 2021, beating Adele and Ed Sheeran, helping send the global industry’s total revenues soaring by 18.5 per cent to £19 billion. Asia accounted for 23 per cent of the total market and 50 per cent of all physical sales.
Latin America, led by Colombian singer and rapper J Balvin, reported revenue growth of 31.2 per cent, compared to 15.4 per cent in Europe.
