BTS are officially the world's best-selling music artists

It should come as no surprise that Korean boyband BTS, and their ability to churn out catchy song after catchy song, have earned them the title of the best-selling act of 2020. The award is determined by the IFPI, which represents the global recorded music industry, and is based on worldwide sales, downloads and streams.

The band released two albums last year, including Map of the Soul: 7 and Be, finding time for the second once their tour hit pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both topped the charts.

Still, in their most impressive feat, they beat out Taylor Swift, who falls to second place this year on the bestseller list after coming in first in 2019. Swift was followed by Drake, The Weeknd and Billie Eilish.

BTS are the first non-Western act to win the title and, naturally, the first with songs not largely sung in English. Debuting in 2013, the group includes members Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V and Jungkook.

In a statement, Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said, "BTS are a global phenomenon. They have had another outstanding year... and [are] continually finding creative and engaging ways to share their story with the world. They truly show the power that music has to bring joy and happiness to people the world over. We would like to congratulate RM, Jin, Suga, J-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook and we are excited to see what they have in store next."

This impressive title aside, in 2020, they also scored a Grammy nomination for their first entirely English single, "Dynamite," which broke one-day streaming records in the U.S. thanks to their powerful fanbase. It also made BTS the first Korean act to rise to the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

BTS also came in on top of Twitter's list of most popular artists of 2020 for the fourth year in a row, beating Beyoncé herself, which means it's clear – there's no stopping the rise of BTS, so best get on the bandwagon. 

Fans are, obviously, overjoyed:

Before you go: etalk Explains: Everything you need to know about BTS

[video_embed id='1913806']Before you go: etalk Explains: Everything you need to know about BTS[/video_embed]