Entertainment

Billie Eilish wins major global accolade for hit single Bad Guy

The 18-year-old music star is continuing her run of success.
The 18-year-old music star is continuing her run of success. The 18-year-old music star is continuing her run of success.

Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy has been named the best-selling global digital single of 2019.

The US singer-songwriter’s hit was released last March and has global converted sales of 19.5 million, according to the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry).

Bad Guy, the fifth single released from Eilish’s chart-topping debut album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?, beat popular tracks including Old Town Road by Lil Nas X, and Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber’s I Don’t Care to become the biggest global track of the year.

Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish Billie Eilish’s Bad Guy was the best-selling global single of 2019 (Carsten Windhorst/IFPI/PA) (Carsten Windhorst/Carsten Windhorst)

The song topped the charts in more than 15 countries and was Spotify’s second-most streamed song worldwide last year, and it recently won record of the year and song of the year at the Grammy Awards.

The IFPI triumph comes after Eilish, 18, topped the charts with her song No Time To Die from the forthcoming James Bond film.

She became only the second artist to get to number one in the UK with a Bond song, and she was also the first woman and the youngest artist to do so.

IFPI chief executive Frances Moore said: “Billie Eilish has taken the world by storm with her incredible voice and genre-defying sound.

“She is also an artist who addresses important issues like mental health in her lyrics that clearly resonate with her fans all over the world.

“We wish her success for what will no doubt be another standout year.”

Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X Lil Nas X is at number two on IFPI’s global digital singles list with Old Town Road (Yui Mok/PA)

US rapper Lil Nas X is in second place on the global list of best-selling singles with his breakout hit Old Town Road, which shifted 18.4 million in sales in 2019.

Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes are in third place with their popular hit Senorita with 16.1 million sales.

Other artists who have scored singles in the top 10 include Ariana Grande, Lewis Capaldi and Lady Gaga with Bradley Cooper.

Eilish was named the fourth best-selling recording artist of 2019 by IFPI earlier this month, with Taylor Swift taking the top spot.

The top 10 global digital singles 2019 (Source – IFPI)

1. Billie Eilish – Bad Guy


2. Lil Nas X – Old Town Road


3. Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes – Senorita


4. Post Malone and SwaeLee – Sunflower


5. Ariana Grande – 7 Rings


6. Tones and I – Dance Monkey


7. Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber – I Don’t Care


8. Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper – Shallow


9. Lewis Capaldi – Someone You Loved


10. Halsey – Without Me