When South Korean all-female K-pop group BLACKPINK released "Kill This Love" song, it caught the world by surprise, as the song which was released on April 4th on YouTube, reached 56.7 million views in its first 24 hours.
When the hype started to fade, another song breaks records.
This time, it's Taylor Swift with her "ME!" song. Quickly, the first song off her new album late breaks numerous records, which include:
The highest female and solo for any music video to reach 65.2 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours, the most views for music video on Vevo, the most first-day streams on Amazon Music, and one of the most on-demand voice requests with Amazon Alexa.
With 65.2 million views, congratulations @taylorswift13 + @taylornation13 on breaking the record for highest female and solo 24-hour debut for any music video on @YouTube https://t.co/yY6GkcuILa pic.twitter.com/wlKZ4zyHOk
— YouTube Music (@youtubemusic) April 28, 2019
.@taylorswift13's ME! continues to CRUSH records on Amazon Music!
Most first day streams
Most first day on-demand voice requests with Alexa
2X as many requests for ME! on Alexa in its first week than ANY other single debut
Congrats, Taylor! https://t.co/nag0p6E5F0 pic.twitter.com/Rv51PXLLGM— Amazon Music (@amazonmusic) May 3, 2019
Because of you guys, this video broke the @vevo record and WE ARE NOT CALM. pic.twitter.com/4tXuFRtTyb
— Taylor Swift (@taylorswift13) April 28, 2019
For a week and a half before the song's release, Swift posted a teaser, and even suggested some Easter Eggs hidden inside the music video.
And when she moved from Twitter to Instagram, YouTube to Tumblr to interact with her fans and answering questions, the multi-Grammy winner quickly garnered attention, and importantly, getting the public's eagerness to her ME! song.
The result is predictable.
When Swift announcing the single ME! featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco, the music video which premiered at midnight on April 26th on YouTube, took the internet's attention.
The single's release marked the end of a 13-day countdown Swift posted on Instagram. ME! is the first music Swift released since 2017, following up to her album Reputation.
Previously, Ariana Grande held the record for solo artists, as her Mean Girls and Legally Blonde-themed "Thank U, Next” video garnered 55 million views across the day of its release late in 2018.
But still, Swift’s “ME!” number of viewership that marks the biggest 24-hour debut of her career, which followed the 43.2 million views achieved by her “Look What You Made Me Do” video,.trails behind the overall record (74 million views) held by K-pop group BTS with “Boy With Love” video which featured Halsey.
"’Me!’ is a song about embracing your individuality, and really celebrating it, and owning it,” Swift explained of the song during a Thursday evening interview. “With a pop song we have the ability to get a melody stuck in people’s heads and I just want it to be one that makes them feel better about themselves."
The single is expected to be included on Swift’s upcoming seventh full-length LP, the title of which is hidden in the “ME!” video via a series of clues, the 29-year-old told fans on social media.
"GUYS!! YOU DID THIS!!!! CANNOT STOP SMILING," Swift said, acknowledging the record breaking numbers.
