Music in 2021 was defined by breakthrough stars and the power of short-form video to dictate chart success.
Gaming transitioned into a comprehensive entertainment ecosystem, generating more revenue globally than the film and music industries combined.
: Bad Bunny was the most-streamed artist globally for the second year in a row, followed closely by Taylor Swift and BTS . buttmansfavoritebigbuttbabes1xxx 2021
: TikTok became the primary engine for music discovery; seven of the top ten rising artists of the year were driven by TikTok trends. Gaming: More Than Just Play
: Platforms like HBO Max saw significant growth by offering "day-and-date" releases for blockbusters like Dune: Part One and The Matrix Resurrections . Music in 2021 was defined by breakthrough stars
: The second half of 2021 saw the rise of the Metaverse and NFTs as major industry talking points, fueled by the success of blockchain-based games like Axie Infinity . Digital-First Consumption Trends
: Olivia Rodrigo dominated the charts with her debut album SOUR , led by the record-breaking single "drivers license". : TikTok became the primary engine for music
: Despite semiconductor shortages, next-gen hardware like the PS5 and Xbox Series X remained in high demand. Meanwhile, mobile gaming continued to lead in revenue, with titles like PUBG Mobile and Garena Free Fire outperforming many PC counterparts.
: The South Korean dystopian thriller Squid Game became a worldwide cultural landmark, becoming Netflix's most-watched series. Netflix also successfully launched Arcane , an animated series based on the League of Legends universe, which topped charts in 52 countries.