Karol G is the ‘Most Watched Artist’ globally on music video platform Vevo for the third consecutive year, attracting 4.7 billion global views in 2023.
Shakira came in second with 3.2 billion views, Taylor Swift with 3 billion views, The Weeknd with 2.5 billion, and Feid with 2.2 billion.
The runners-up include Eminem (1.8bn views), Romeo Santos (1.6bn views), Imagine Dragons (1.5bn views), Rihanna (1.4bn views), and Chris Brown (1.4bn views).
The ‘Most Watched Music Video’ of 2023 across the globe was Karol G & Shakira’s TQG, which attracted 880 million views. TQG is also the most watched global premiere of the year with 181.9 million views.
The runners up for the Most Watched Music Video globally were Miley Cyrus’ Flowers (644.6m views), Feid & Young Miko’s Classy 101 (336.8m views), Karol G’s Mi Ex Tenia Razon (242.9m), and Karol G’s Mientras ME Curo Del Cora (201.8m).
Meanwhile, Taylor Swift has claimed the title of Vevo’s ‘Most Watched Artist’ in the US for 2023 with 649.5 million views.
This achievement follows a massive year for Swift — from releasing blockbuster rerecorded albums to a record-breaking world tour. According to Pollstar, Swift’s Eras Tour has become the first tour in history to generate gross revenues of over $1 billion.
Vevo noted that during the Eras Tour, Swift fans in the US revisited her Vevo catalog including videos for All Too Well: The Short Film (+333% lift in US views), cardigan (+150% lift in US views), and Fifteen (+171% lift in US views).
Taylor Swift also ranked first in the UK and third globally in the Vevo charts, behind Reggaeton star Karol G and Colombian icon Shakira, respectively.
“Taylor has had an outstanding year, and connected with audiences on so many levels this year,” said JP Evangelista, Senior Vice President, Content, Programming & Marketing, Vevo.
Swift was also named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year for 2023 after 65 of her songs reached Apple Music’s Global Daily Top 100 in the first 10 months of 2023, more than any other artist, and as Spotify’s most-streamed artist globally, achieving over 26 billion streams on the platform in 2023 alone.
“Taylor has had an outstanding year, and connected with audiences on so many levels this year.”
JP Evangelista, Vevo
“Vevo’s annual charts help us track fandoms, viewership patterns, and what’s happening in the cultural zeitgeist. We love this time of year at Vevo, being able to look back and really celebrate some of the biggest music video moments of the years,” added Evangelista.
“Music videos stand the test of time and not only remain influential in pop culture, but are also a powerful art form for building and fostering the artist-fan connection, especially in today’s competitive landscape. We see meticulous marketing and release strategies that can really make an impact with music fans around the world.”
In Vevo’s ranking of US Top 10 Artists in terms of views, Lil Baby came in at second with 612.7 million views, followed by Karol G (577.9m views), Morgan Wallen (512m views), Drake (457.7m views), Chris Brown (413.7m views), Future (395.3m views), SZA (377.9m views), The Weeknd (343.5m views), and Luke Combs (324.2m views).
Hip-Hop artist Toosii’s Favorite Song is the No. 1 ‘Most Watched Music Video’ in the US this year with 101.8 million views, followed by Miley Cyrus’ Flowers, which took the second spot in the US with 97.9 million views. Flowers was the biggest debut on Vevo in the US, receiving the most viewership in the first two weeks of its release.
In addition to Favorite Song and Flowers, the rest of the ‘Most Watched Music Video’ in the US for this year included Karol G & Shakira’s TQG (84.1m), Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj’s Princess Diana (52.3m), Becky G & Peso Pluma’s CHANEL (38.3m), Moneybagg Yo feat. GloRilla’s On Wat U On (37m), SZA’s Kill Bill (36.9m), Karol G’s Mi Ex Tenia Razon (32m), Doja Cat’s Paint The Town Red (30.8m), and Metro Boomin & Future’s Superhero (Heroes & Villains) (30.2m).
“Vevo’s annual charts help us track fandoms, viewership patterns, and what’s happening in the cultural zeitgeist. We love this time of year at Vevo, being able to look back and really celebrate some of the biggest music video moments of the years.”
JP Evangelista, Vevo
The other biggest debuts in the US this year were Karol G & Shakira’s TQG, Ice Spice & Nicki Minaj’s Princess Diana, Ice Spice’s Deli, Shakira and Fuerza Regida’s El Jefe, Karol G’s Mi Ex Tenia Razon, The Beatles’ Now and Then, Offset & Cardi B’s JEALOUSY, Olivia Rodrigo’s vampire, and SZA’s Snooze.
Taylor Swift is also Vevo’s ‘Most Watched Artist’ in the UK, garnering 98.9 million views in 2023.
The Top Music Videos of the Year in the UK this year was Miley Cyrus’ Flowers with 26.5 million views. The second most watched music video on Vevo in the UK was Lewis Capaldi’s Wish You The Best with 8.9 million views, followed by Jazzy’s Giving Me (Official Visualizer) with 8.7 million views.
“Vevo’s annual rankings show us the power and reach of visual storytelling for artists, as well as which music videos resonated with audiences the most this year.”
Dot Levine, Vevo
“Vevo’s annual rankings show us the power and reach of visual storytelling for artists, as well as which music videos resonated with audiences the most this year,” said Dot Levine, Senior Vice President, Vevo London.
“This year’s list features a mix of artists, both new and established, from the likes of Jazzy and Libianca to Lewis Capaldi and Chase & Status, across various genres, including Electronic, Hip-Hop and Pop, as well as international sounds, like Afrobeats and Latin.
“Vevo has also worked closely with many of these artists on various live performance videos and original content, including our annual DSCVR Artists to Watch program, all of which help build and diversify their visual catalogue, while deepening the artist-fan connection.”
Vevo also recently compiled a review of some of the key trends on its platform this year ahead of the release of its annual “most watched” charts.
According to Vevo, social media “remained a touchstone for music discovery” in 2023, with 57% of people finding new music and artists on social platforms, according to the annual Vevo Media Tracker survey in the US.
Additionally, Vevo says that 76% of consumers who discover new music on social media were likely to seek out and watch the music video for that song or others from the artist/band they discovered.
Examples of new releases that gained traction on social media, according to Vevo include Tyla’s Water and Victoria Monét’s On My Mama.
Vevo says that Victoria Monét’s overall catalog also saw an 810% increase in global viewership on the day that the video for On My Mama was released.
In addition to social media, Vevo says that TV has also “greatly aided discovery” of music videos.
In reality TV specifically, the use of Lee Ann Womack’s 2000 hit I Hope You Dance on Netflix‘ original series Love is Blind gave the music video a 116% lift in global daily views on Vevo.
In sports, Rihanna’s Super Bowl LVII performance boosted the star’s overall music video viewership in the US 4.5x on Super Bowl Sunday alone.
Notable videos that saw a boost in views following the super Bowl include Diamonds ( up 327% in the US) and Umbrella, which saw a 629% lift in US views on the Vevo platform).
Vevo also noted that TV shows, films, comeback tours, anniversaries, and more drove views for classic music videos:
George Michael and Wham!’s music video catalogs saw lifts following documentaries about the artists including a Channel 4 documentary in the UK about George Michael in the late ‘90s. The video for Outside saw a 1,003% increase in UK daily views and 606% rise in global daily views.
In July, following the release of the Barbie movie, Aqua’s classic Barbie Girl saw a 242% lift in global daily views. Songs featured in the movie also benefitted, like Indigo Girls‘ Closer To Fine , which rose 556% in global daily views.
“VEVO IS AT THE CENTER OF MAJOR POP CULTURE MOMENTS, FROM WHAT’S GOING VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO AWARDS SHOWS ON TV.”
JP EVANGELISTA, VEVO
JP Evangelista, SVP, Content, Programming & Marketing, Vevo, said: “Vevo is at the center of major pop culture moments, from what’s going viral on social media to awards shows on TV.
“Additionally, our vast global distribution means we are everywhere and audiences can turn to music videos no matter the device.”
Added Evangelista: “Music videos show no signs of slowing down, driving trends and acting as a cultural lexicon for consumers.
“In fact, according to recent Vevo research, 84% of people say music videos play an important role in pop culture, with 63% trying to stay current with music videos to know what everyone is talking about.”
“Music videos bring an artist’s vision to life, telling the stories of their music the way it was intended.”
Julie Triolo, Vevo
Julie Triolo, SVP, Sales Marketing & Research, Vevo, said: “Music videos bring an artist’s vision to life, telling the stories of their music the way it was intended.
“At Vevo, we know the power of being able to light up sight, sound, and motion, giving audiences a place to watch culture unfold with new releases or a sense of nostalgia with our endless decade channels.
“Further, music videos break barriers and provide a glimpse into other cultures and traditions around the world, leaving three-fourths of people feeling that music videos are representative of the world around them.”Music Business Worldwide