March 29, 2023
TAIPEI – Taiwanese singer Jay Chou has topped the Global Album Sales Chart 2022 by the IFPI, the organisation which represents the recorded music industry worldwide. He has done it with his 15th studio album, Greatest Works Of Art (2022).
The 44-year-old is the first Mandopop artiste to accomplish the feat, following his appearance at No. 9 on the IFPI Global Recording Artiste of the Year 2022. (American pop star Taylor Swift was at No. 1.)
The Global Album Sales Chart award is presented to the artiste or group with the most unit sales across physical and digital download formats. Previous winners of the award include English singer Adele (2021), K-pop boy band BTS (2020) and J-pop boy band Arashi (2019).
Chou, who was presented with a custom trophy featuring an inset of his winning album cover by IFPI, thanked his fans.
“In Hollywood, you might know Jay Chou as Kato in The Green Hornet (2011); in (South) Korea, the actor and director of the film Secret (2007); in Japan, the actor in Initial D (2005), or even the magician in the Netflix series J-Style Trip (2020),” he said in a press statement.
“But in fact, I am a songwriter and music composer. Thanks to all the fans who’ve been supporting my music since my debut in 2000. It’s very exciting to see Mandopop emerge at the top of the chart. I hope my music can stay timeless and be appreciated worldwide.”
Chou, who also posted his win on Instagram on Tuesday, was congratulated by celebrities such as his good pals, Singapore singer JJ Lin and Mayday frontman Ashin, as well as Hong Kong action star Donnie Yen and Hong Kong-Canadian actor Edison Chen.
Chou’s album is followed on the Global Album Sales Chart by K-pop sensation BTS’ Proof at No. 2 and Swift’s Midnights at No. 3.
Jay Chou poses with his IFPI Global Album Sales Chart award in a photo posted on social media on March 28, 2023. PHOTO: IFPI_ORG/INSTAGRAM
The rest of the top 10 is dominated by K-pop groups, with boy band Stray Kids at No. 4 for Maxident and No. 8 for Oddinary. Boy band Seventeen are in fifth place for Face The Sun and ninth for Sector 17.
Rounding up the top 10 are boy band Enhypen’s Manifesto: Day 1 in sixth, girl group Blackpink’s Born Pink in seventh and boy band TXT’s Minisode 2: Thursday’s Child in 10th place.