K-pop superstars BTS have been named Global Recording Artist of the Year for a second year in a row.
The annual top 10 list of the world’s bestselling artists is compiled by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the music recording industry worldwide.
"BTS' phenomenal success over the last year is a testament to their creativity, hard work and ongoing commitment to continuing to find ways to bring their music to the world," said the federation's chief executive Frances Moore.
"By performing in three different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal, and their dynamic and passionate fan base has helped to make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart in two consecutive years."
According to the federation, the honour is determined by an artist or group’s worldwide performance across digital and physical music formats, including streaming and vinyl, and spans their entire discography.
BTS released three new songs in 2021: Butter, Permission to Dance, and My Universe, a collaboration with Coldplay. The group also sing in Korean, Japanese and English.
The Grammy-nominated band are the first to win the title for two years in a row. Taylor Swift and Drake are also two-time winners of the award, but their wins were not consecutive.
Swift, Adele, Drake and Ed Sheeran rounded out the top five, while The Weeknd, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, fellow K-pop group Seventeen and Olivia Rodrigo made up the rest of the top 10.
Last week, it was announced that the boy band would be doing a mini residency in Las Vegas, bringing their Permission To Dance On Stage concert to the US city for four shows on April 8, 9, 15 and 16.
Set to take place in the nearly 65,000-capacity Allegiant Stadium, all four gigs will be broadcast live at the nearby MGM Grand Garden Arena in an event called Live Play in Las Vegas. For fans who cannot attend, the last show will also be live-streamed online.
The top 10 bestselling acts of 2021
- BTS
- Taylor Swift
- Adele
- Drake
- Ed Sheeran
- The Weeknd
- Billie Eilish
- Justin Bieber
- Seventeen
- Olivia Rodrigo
'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
Racecard
6.35pm: The Madjani Stakes – Group 2 (PA) Dh97,500 (Dirt) 1,900m
7.10pm: Evidenza – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,200m
7.45pm: The Longines Conquest – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (D) 2,000m
8.20: The Longines Elegant – Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (D)
8.35pm: The Dubai Creek Mile – Listed (TB) Dh132,500 (D) 1,600m
9.30pm: Mirdif Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (D) 1,400m
10.05pm: The Longines Record – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,900m
Other IPL batting records
Most sixes: 292 – Chris Gayle
Most fours: 491 – Gautam Gambhir
Highest individual score: 175 not out – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Highest strike-rate: 177.29 – Andre Russell
Highest strike-rate in an innings: 422.22 – Chris Morris (for Delhi Daredevils against Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017)
Highest average: 52.16 – Vijay Shankar
Most centuries: 6 – Chris Gayle
Most fifties: 36 – Gautam Gambhir
Fastest hundred (balls faced): 30 – Chris Gayle (for Royal Challengers Bangalore against Pune Warriors in 2013)
Fastest fifty (balls faced): 14 – Lokesh Rahul (for Kings XI Punjab against Delhi Daredevils in 2018)
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
The specs: 2018 Maserati Levante S
Price, base / as tested: Dh409,000 / Dh467,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 430hp @ 5,750rpm
Torque: 580Nm @ 4,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 10.9L / 100km
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