Move over Ed Sheeran: Miley Cyrus has the biggest song of 2023... so far

Miley Cyrus in her clip for the hit song 'Flowers' - Copyright Columbia - YouTube

Published on 07/07/2023 - 13:03•Updated 17:42

We’re halfway through the year and the results are in: Miley Cyrus's 'Flowers' is the biggest single of the year to date, and the Top 5 best–selling songs of the year are, for the first time in chart history, all by female artists.

The Official Charts Company, the British organisation that compiles various official record charts in the UK, Ireland and France, has announced that the hugely popular disco-influenced break-up anthem 'Flowers' has achieved 147 million streams and more than 80,000 downloads in 2023.

That makes it this year’s biggest song... so far.

Miley Cyrus’ self-love anthem is her first number 1 song since 2014’s 'Wrecking Ball'. It completed a 10-week stay at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart earlier this year.

The song was rumoured to be about the end of her marriage to actor Liam Hemsworth, as she released the track on Hemsworth's birthday (10 March).

The Official Charts Company stated that 'Flowers' has gone on to become the longest-running Number 1 single by a female artist this side of the decade in the process, equalling the epic 10-week chart-topping runs of Whitney Houston's 'I Will Always Love You' and Rihanna's 'Umbrella'.

RAYE and 070 Shake’s 'Escapism' (one of our favourites here at Euronews Culture) is 2023's second biggest-seller, while SZA's 'Kill Bill' is in third place.

Rounding out the Top 5 are PinkPantheress’s viral anthem 'Boy’s a Liar' and Taylor Swift’s chart-topper, 'Anti-Hero'. Rema’s Afrobeat banger 'Calm Down', Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding’s third collaboration 'Miracle', Libianca’s 'People', Harry Styles’ 'As It Was' and Miguel’s 'Sure Thing' have all made the Top 10.

Of note is how the top five best-selling singles of the year are all by female artists - the first time this has ever happened in chart history. Additionally, this year marks Ed Sheeran’s absence from the Top 10, the first time this has occurred since 2016.

Here are the Top 10 singles of 2023 (year-to-date):

Miley Cyrus - Flowers
Raye ft 070 Shake - Escapism
SZA - Kill Bill
PinkPantheress - Boy's A Liar
Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero
Rema ft Selena Gomez - Calm Down
Calvin Harris and Ellie Goulding - Miracle
Libianca - People
Harry Styles - As It Was
Miguel - Sure Thing

When it comes to albums, the Official Charts have named The Weeknd's greatest hits collection, 'The Highlights', as the most popular album so far this year, followed by Taylor Swift's 'Midnights' and Harry Styles' 'Harry's House'.

SZA’s 'SOS' and the greatest hits collection by Elton John 'Diamonds' round off the Top 5, and only only two albums released in 2023 feature in the Top 10 biggest-sellers list: Lewis Capaldi's 'Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent' and Ed Sheeran's 'Subtract'. Capaldi appears twice in the Top 10, with his album 'Divinely Uninspired By A Hellish Extent' in the tenth spot.

Meanwhile, Taylor Swift, has an impressive five albums in the Top 40, with 'Midnights' joined by '1989' (16), 'Lover' (19), 'Folklore' (23) and 'Reputation' (34).