Harry Styles tops IFPI global singles chart with hit As It Was

LONDON - British singer-songwriter Harry Styles added to his Grammy and Brit Awards triumphs on Thursday (Feb 23) when his chart-topping hit As It Was won the IFPI Global Single Award for 2022, the recorded music industry representative body said.

The prize is given to the music artist scoring the world’s best-selling single of the year across all digital formats.

The synth-pop track, from Styles' third studio album Harry's House, was released in April and topped charts around the world.

Styles, who rose to fame as part of boy band One Direction, this month won song of the year at the BRIT Awards for the track. Harry's House won album of the year both there and at the Grammys.

“Harry first received an IFPI Award as part of One Direction when we first launched the IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart 10 years ago," IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore said in a statement.

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"So it’s an honour to present him with an award this year for his stellar single 'As It Was' which has soundtracked the year for so many music fans around the world."

Heat Waves by British indie rockers Glass Animals came second in the IFPI chart, followed by Justin Bieber and The Kid Laroi collaboration Stay at no.3.

The Top 20 also features for the first time four songs performed predominantly in Spanish, with Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny appearing twice for his collaboration with Chencho Corleone "Me Porto Bonito" at no. 9 and his solo hit Tití Me Preguntó at no. 11.

Another notable showing is Kate Bush’s 1985 hit Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), which enjoyed a resurgence last year thanks to the hit Netflix show Stranger Things. It came in at no. 16 on the IFPI chart.