Who were the most listened-to artists on streaming charts this year?

Bad Bunny (L) and Taylor Swift (R) are among the most listened-to artists on streaming platforms in 2022. Image: Valerie Macon / AFP

As the end of the year approaches, it's time for music streaming platforms to take stock. Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and others have recently revealed the ranking of the most popular artists according to their users. Some names come up repeatedly.

Bad Bunny is one such name. The Puerto Rican singer is the most listened to artist worldwide on Spotify and Apple Music. This is the third year in a row that he has topped the year-end charts of the Swedish giant. At 28 years old, Bad Bunny has become an ambassador for "Latin trap," a musical genre that mixes reggaeton, trap and hip-hop. Several of his songs, including "Dakiti," "Yonaguni" and "La Canción," have accumulated millions, if not billions, of listens on various music streaming platforms and on YouTube.

While the singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has been composing songs since he was a teenager, he reached A-level stardom with his third album, "El Último Tour Del Mundo." This album became the first record entirely in Spanish to top the Billboard charts.

Bad Bunny cemented his global superstar status this year with his latest musical project, "Un Verano Sin Ti." It appears at the top of the charts of most listened to albums in 2022 from Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music. This universal approval shows how Latin music has truly made its mark on the listening habits of music lovers around the world. "The Latin music movement has grown so much. I would never take full credit or say, ‘It’s because of me.’ No, it’s every one of us. A whole generation. Our energy and presence is always felt," Bad Bunny said in an exclusive documentary produced by Apple Music.

Well-oiled hit machines

The Weeknd, Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran are also among the most listened to artists on streaming platforms this year. All three owe this spot on the charts to the albums they have released in the last 12 months, namely "Dawn FM," "Harry's House" and "=" respectively. Harry Styles, the British star who became known in the 2010s for being part of the group One Direction first launched his solo career with his self-titled debut album in 2017. With his latest release the 28-year-old Englishman took a funkier turn. And this new musical direction seems to appeal to music lovers as his track "As It Was" is the most listened to song on Spotify and Deezer in 2022. It is also the third most searched song on music recognition app Shazam, behind "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa, and "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals.