Avril Lavigne may have lost a few fans following the release of the controversial “Hello Kitty” music video , but this didn’t stop the clip from becoming a viral sensation.
Even though you may hate the tune with an undying passion, chances are you listened to the song at some point last week. If you watched the video on Avril Lavigne’s VEVO page, then you helped the singer generate millions of views during the clip’s first week of release.
As of this writing, Lavigne’s “Hello Kitty” has an impressive 11.7 million views . Considering people are still discussing, debating, and criticizing the video, that number will only continue to grow over the next few weeks. What’s more, this figure doesn’t include all the unofficial versions of the song that folks uploaded to YouTube ahead of its official release.
While most of the comments on the music video’s VEVO page are negative, people can’t seem to stop watching and posting about the clip. Chances are Avril Lavigne doesn’t mind the attention the ensuing controversy is giving her music. After all, even bad press can help generate album sales.
“Oh, Avril! It’s 2014. Have you learned nothing about the offensiveness that is cultural appropriation? Especially when it’s as inaccurate and stereotypical as the things in your video. I’m thinking Tokyo is more than just a candy-colored cupcake dreamland, yes?” one user remarked.
The Inquisitr previously reported that Avril Lavigne dismissed comments that the clip was nothing short of racist . In the singer’s opinion, she was simply embracing aspects of Japanese culture for “Hello Kitty.”
Check out her response to the controversy below.
RACIST??? LOLOLOL!!! I love Japanese culture and I spend half of my time in Japan. I flew to Tokyo to shoot this video…
— Avril Lavigne (@AvrilLavigne) April 24, 2014
…specifically for my Japanese fans, WITH my Japanese label, Japanese choreographers AND a Japanese director IN Japan.
— Avril Lavigne (@AvrilLavigne) April 24, 2014
The controversy certainly didn’t slow the singer’s roll. Instead of letting all the negativity get her down, Lavigne headed to South America for a few shows in São Paulo. Check out some photos of the singer doing her thing on-stage.
On stage last night in São Paulo pic.twitter.com/p0eThjlnp4
— Avril Lavigne (@AvrilLavigne) April 30, 2014
RT if you wish you were attending #TheAvrilLavigneTour in São Paulo right now ?? pic.twitter.com/Wdxmu9Q3xj
— AvrilBandaidsItalia (@avrilbandaidsIT) May 1, 2014
Are you surprised that the music video for Avril Lavigne’s “Hello Kitty” generated 11 million views during its first week of release?