YOUTUBE
o Another example of a viral video is Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ which was originally created for vanity release through the record label ARK Music Factory. The video became viral on YouTube and other social media sites and had received over 167 million views before removal then the re-upload in 2011 and has since gained over 34 million views. Although this video and song has been deemed as ‘the worst video ever made’ by many, the impact of YouTube and its power of social media to make it viral cannot be ignored and truly shows the influence it has over the vast majority of us.
o A recent viral video sensation is south Korean artist, Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’
Released in mid-July 2012, the video currently has over 900 million views and the number continues to increase. This song has stormed the world, attracting much attention, even with celebrities such as Britney Spears, tweeting that she wants to learn the choreography. Nearly everyone knows of this song, and the familiar comedic dance and catchy tune. The song talks about the people and society in Gangnam – a district in South Korea, but the humorous music video is what makes it so unique. This slightly western influenced video is entertaining to watch and the outcome of people re-posting and spreading the video is a huge number of parodies of the song all over YouTube.
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o This has changed the Korean music industry, with Psy being the first Korean artist to make a break in America and he is now currently signed to Justin Bieber’s label. Within a short 2 months, his video has become the most viewed Korean music video, surpassing Girl’s Generation’s ‘Gee’ who held first spot with over 95 million views. He also claimed number one spot on the iTunes Top Songs Chart – becoming the first Korean to achieve that. His appearances on television shows such as ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ helped to increase publicity. The global sensation just shows the power of social networking and its impact on the music industry. Through sharing and spreading links, the public do have the power to make or break someone in the music industry.