Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ Video Hits 1 Billion Views On Vevo, Rewind To Cute [Video]
Justin Bieber isn’t broken and neither is the “Baby” music video. Crossing one billion views today on Vevo’s platform, the four-year-old signature song proves its hit status again amid a #BabyHit1Billion top trending topic.
Vevo reports “Baby” is its “most watched clip ever” on the video hosting service, notching up 10 x platinum views making Bieber the first, the youngest, and the only artist to do so on Vevo to date.
The iconic tween ode was released on January 18, 2010 as the lead single from the second half of Bieber’s debut album My World 2.0. Written by a team that included Bieber, The-Dream, Christina Milian, and rapper Ludacris who featured, “Baby” became an immediate airplay favorite debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the Canadian Hot 100.
The Ray Kay-directed boy-pursues-girl in a bowling alley video was filmed one week later premiering exclusively on Vevo on February 19, 2010. At the time, coming off My World’s EP success and still one month before 2.0’s release,”Baby” went on to become the rocket that set the seal on Bieber’s superstardom.
.@justinbieber‘s “Baby” music video has reached 1 BILLION views on @vevo, our most watched clip ever http://t.co/K1J6l0u97y #BabyBillionVEVO
— VEVO_Media (@VEVO_Media) February 24, 2014
Undeniably catchy with a hook that wouldn’t quit and with cameos from then Young Money artist Drake and Lil Twist, “Baby” went on to platinum sales in a slew of countries. Back in May 2013, the Recording Industry Association announced the song’s new Diamond status was based on its inclusion of on-demand streaming data into its Gold and Platinum Awards Program.
Bieber was presented with the Diamond Award for “Baby,” during his Newark, New Jersey, concert last July. It represents the R.I.A.A.’s official recognition of the song as the highest certified digital single in US music history, earning Diamond status with 12-times platinum sales of over 3.9 million track sales and (now) 1 billion views on Vevo. Its ascent dethroned Elton John’s 1973 double-A “Candle in the Wind/ Something About The Way You Look.”
Given his start was on YouTube — at the age of 12, Bieber’s mother began uploading videos of him singing R&B and Pop covers to the “Kidrauhl” YouTube account on January 15, 2007 – there is something fitting about today’s record.
By July 12, 2010, “Baby” became the most viewed video in YouTube history with more than 380 million views. That feat was surpassed by South Korean rapper Psy’s “Gangnam Style” on November 24, 2012.
“Gangnam Style” went on to become the first YouTube video to hit one billion views, which it did on December 21, 2012.
On November 1st, 2011, Bieber’s YouTube Channel “JustinBieberVEVO” reached a new milestone of 2 billion total views. The previous viewcount milestone was achieved by Lady Gaga who became the first artist to gain one billion views in October 2010.
Fast forward to today, and Bieber’s “Baby“ finally punches the one billion views ceiling.
The video, all 3:44 minutes of it, is a musical time capsule. It harks back to America’s own puppy love relationship with a swoosh-haired, prepubescent Justin, undoubtedly a time many fans wish they could return to.
Hard as it might be to imagine, there was once a time when Bieber’s name wasn’t mentioned with words like DUI arrest, alleged egging, assaults, and Atlantan residents protesting a not-yet confirmed move down South.
The 19-year-old recently addressed a mocking Twitter trending topic — “LoserKeepsBieber” — and likely his critics, in a tweet posted on Friday.
It read, “I guess I’m an easy target for some. I’m still human. I will continue to meet hate with love. It’s all about the music. Much love.”
Hours later Bieber put detractors on notice with a defiant new song “Broken“ featuring L.A-based rapper Blake Kelly. It is his first music ouput since his arrest and charges.
Spin magazine recently called the recent fight between Bieber’s lawyers and attorneys for news media organizations arguing for a right to see private, intimate jail footage of the star in custody at a Miami police station following his DUI arrest as the “endpoint of all journalism.”
We’ll go further and suggest the mounting of a wholesale media assault against this young Canadian is an unseemly, profit-oriented loss of perspective over teenage follies that could well prompt a breakdown and end of his career. As such, it is unworthy of our profession.
But, for now, lets take it back to the (over) one billion viewed “Baby“ and remember a time when Bieber’s life and music was this carefree.
A Vevo music video record and a Diamond Award for the same song. Congratulations kid.
The Making Of “Baby”
