2025 belonged to one song, and it wasn’t even entirely in English.

Published February 20, 2026

The IFPI has officially crowned “APT.” by Rosé and Bruno Mars as the biggest-selling global single of the year. In a chart year stacked with mega-hits that simply refused to leave, this collab still managed to grab the top spot.

And it made history doing it.

For the first time, the IFPI Global Single Chart was topped by an artist outside North America or Europe. It’s also the first No. 1 single to feature non-English lyrics. Translation: the world has officially decided vibes > language barriers.

The Rest of the Global Pop Olympics

Coming in at No. 2 was “Golden” by HUNTR/X, featured in the animated film K-Pop Demon Hunters. Not bad for a mid-year release about animated demon-slaying pop stars. Casual.

At No. 4, “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars proved that pairing two global powerhouses is still a very effective strategy. Meanwhile, Kendrick Lamar and SZA landed at No. 8 with “luther,” because collaborations continue to run the music economy.

Fun twist: eight of the top ten singles weren’t even new. They were 2024 releases that simply refused to log off. In fact, the entire top five from last year stuck around for 2025. Longevity is the new debut.

As for fresh faces, Alex Warren debuted at No. 3 with “Ordinary,” while Gracie Abrams cracked the top ten with “That’s So True.” Also making chart appearances: sombr and Ravyn Lenae.

The takeaway? Pop is global, multilingual, collaborative, and apparently allergic to expiring.

And somewhere, a playlist titled “2024 Bangers That Refuse to Retire” is still thriving.

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