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From Lil Nas X’s Montero to Billie Eilish’sHappier Than Ever, 2021 brought several notable releases to the music streaming platform, Spotify. Here are some of the most-streamed artists, from Olivia Rodrigo to Bad Bunny.

Pop music star and Disney actress Olivia Rodrigo makes a brief statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House
Pop music star and Disney actress Olivia Rodrigo makes a brief statement in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

This year was filled with notable releases from new and returning artists. Adele debuted her album 30, while Ed Sheeran returned with =. The most-streamed album of 2021, according to the music platform Spotify, is Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour. That included tracks like “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U.”

The second most popular album was Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, which featured hit songs “Levitating,” “Don’t Start Now,” and “Love Again.” This production earned Lipa a Grammy Award in the Pop Vocal Album category.

“Ed Sheeran’s earworm ‘Bad Habits’ – specifically released to soundtrack a summer of lockdown easing – was Spotify’s third-biggest song of 2021,” BBC reported. “It only came 53rd in Apple’s chart, however, reflecting the service’s more US-centric audience.”

Who was the most popular artist of 2021, according to Spotify?

The second most popular artist of 2021 was Taylor Swift, who re-released versions of fan-favorite songs like “Red,” “All Too Well,” and “Wildest Dreams.” The same year she released the deluxe version of her 2020 release Evermore.

Based on Spotify’s reporting, the overall most popular artist of 2021 was the Puerto Rican rapper named Bad Bunny, who racked up a total of 9.1 billion streams. The musician also appeared alongside Shakira and Jennifer Lopez for the 2020 Super Bowl Halftime Show.

“I don’t [get] into it to be the number one most-streamed artist,” said the 27-year-old, upon hearing the news according to BBC. “I just make music. I just enjoy my ‘work.’”

Other others who earned recognition for their impressive streaming numbers include BTS, the K-pop group behind songs like “Permission to Dance” and “Butter,” as well as Certified Lover Boy artist Drake. 

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Grammy nominations for the 2022 award ceremony were announced in 2021, giving special recognition to Lil Nas X, Doja Cat, and Rodrigo. Eilish, who became one of the youngest artists to receive Song of the Year, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist, also earned nominations for Happier Than Ever.

Songs released in conjunction with Sour earned Grammy nominations in the Best Music Video, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance categories. Sour also earned Record of the Year, Pop Vocal Album, and Album of the Year nominations.

“There was this lack of pressure,” Rodrigo said during an interview with GQ. “If there was a concert and I could see that ‘Drivers License’ was being sung by thousands of people, I feel like I would’ve gotten in my head more than I did.”

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