IFPI has revealed that Apt by Rosé and Bruno Mars is the label organisation’s official biggest-selling Global Single Of The Year 2025.
Apt secured pole position with 2.06 billion equivalent units in one of the most competitive years in the IFPI chart’s history. Golden by Huntr/x from K-Pop Demon Hunters was close in second place (2bn units) followed by Alex Warren’s Ordinary (1.9bn) – they were the only two 2025 releases in the IFPI Top 10.
The success of Apt marks the first time the IFPI Global Single Chart has been topped by an artist outside of North America or Europe, and the first time a winning single has featured non-English lyrics. IFPI said it reflects the “increasingly global nature of recorded music and the role of labels in breaking language and market barriers”.
The release was supported by coordinated international label campaigns, aligning radio, digital platforms and marketing efforts across regions to ensure sustained visibility and long-term audience engagement. For Bruno Mars, the win marks his first No.1 IFPI Global Single since Just The Way You Are in 2011.
The Top 10 also showcased the growing importance of collaborations, with Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s Die With A Smile reaching No.4, while Kendrick Lamar and SZA placed at No.8 with Luther.
In another first, each of the Top 5 singles from 2024 remained in the chart for 2025, with eight of the year’s Top 10 singles originating from prior-year releases.
“This longevity reflects continued label investment in audience development and the sustained promotion of high-performing repertoire,” said IFPI.
Other chart debuts included Gracie Abrams with That’s So True at No.9, Sombr with Back to friends (No.16) and Ravyn Lenae’s Love Me Not (No.20).
This year’s results also underline the global reach of today’s music market, with songs connecting across languages and borders
Victoria Oakley
Victoria Oakley, CEO, IFPI, said: “Rosé and Bruno Mars topping the IFPI Global Single Chart with Apt is a landmark moment, not least as it's the first time a winning single has featured non-English lyrics.
“This year’s results also underline the global reach of today’s music market, with songs connecting across languages and borders.”
The IFPI Global Single Chart measures consumption of a track (including remixes and alternative versions) and considers single track downloads and streaming across both free and paid platforms. The consumption is translated into chart units by IFPI according to a methodology based on the relative economics of each format in each region globally.
In 2024, an enhancement was made to this methodology to better account for the economics of subscription streams across regions.
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