Bad Bunny Crowned Global King of Streams, Set for Super Bowl Halftime Show as Spotify Wrapped Unveils 2025’s Top Hits

Puerto Rican music sensation Bad Bunny has been named the world’s most-streamed artist of 2025, amassing an astounding 19.8 billion streams, a feat that has paved the way for his highly anticipated performance at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. His critically acclaimed album, “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which pays homage to his island’s rich musical heritage, also claimed the title of the year’s biggest album globally.

This announcement coincides with the much-anticipated release of Spotify Wrapped, which began rolling out to users on Wednesday at 13:00 GMT, providing a personalized summary of their listening habits throughout the year. While Bad Bunny dominated the global charts, his presence in the United Kingdom was notably different, where he did not feature in the Top 10. Instead, pop icon Taylor Swift secured the position of the UK’s most popular artist for the year.

Globally, the biggest song of 2025 was the throwback duet “Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars. However, UK listeners gravitated towards Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” making it their top track. Millenium TV’s analysis of streaming data reveals that “Ordinary,” which held the number one spot for an impressive 13 weeks, was one of the few new songs to break into Spotify’s UK Top 10. Many chart positions were instead occupied by enduring hits from artists like Lola Young, Billie Eilish, and Gigi Perez, with Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club,” originally released in 2020, even ranking as the fourth most-streamed song of 2025.

Sabrina Carpenter’s 2024 album, “Short ‘n’ Sweet,” fueled by tracks such as “Taste,” “Espresso,” and “Please Please Please,” was the UK’s most listened-to album, though her more recent release, “Man’s Best Friend,” did not reach the Top 10. Globally, Billie Eilish secured the fifth spot among streamed artists, propelled by popular songs like “Birds of a Feather” and “Lunch,” while Drake landed in fourth place following the release of his latest album, “$ome $exy $ongs 4 UA.”

Other major streaming platforms presented a similar picture of the year’s musical landscape. Both YouTube and Apple Music reported Rosé and Bruno Mars’ pop anthem “APT,” initially released in October 2024, as their top track. Notably, YouTube users showed a significant interest in “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” with four songs from the Netflix animation, led by Huntr/x’s “Golden” at number three, appearing in the site’s Top 10. The soundtrack for “K-Pop Demon Hunters” also became the second biggest album globally on Spotify, followed closely by Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard and Soft.”

British singer Lola Young experienced a breakout year, with her hits “Messy” and “Not Like That Any More” resonating widely. Spotify Wrapped, which launched in 2016, continues to grow in scale, compiling users’ listening habits to identify their most-played songs, favorite artists, and top podcasts, encouraging social media sharing. This year’s Wrapped features a bespoke film highlighting the achievements of British artists such as Lola Young, who garnered 1 billion streams in 2025, and Central Cee, whose debut album “Can’t Rush Greatness” achieved 785 million streams.

Richard Whittle, Professor of artificial intelligence and public policy at the University of Salford, commented on the phenomenon, explaining that Wrapped is an “incredibly effective viral marketing tool that turns millions of users into enthusiastic promoters.” He added that “many users even adjust their habits throughout the year to engineer a ‘cooler’ Wrapped next time, which shows how powerful the feature has become.”