From a prolonged pandemic to the Kim Kardashian and Kanye West breakup, 2021 has been a roller-coaster! Luckily for us, this roller-coaster ride is accompanied by an amazing soundtrack. Here are top 10 music videos of the year.
10. Adele – “Easy On Me”
Adele’s “Easy On Me” broke Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” record for most streamed song in 24 hours, which comes as no surprise considering Adele effortlessly breaks a record every time she drops new music. The song has gained over 100 million views on YouTube with over five million likes — and this is all from a song that just dropped in October.
9. Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “Industry Baby”
If anyone knows how to make a music video that will have people watching over and over again, it’s Lil Nas X. With a full-on jury case prequel, “Industry Baby” sees Nas sent to jail for the chaos his previous video “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” caused. But hey, if jail has handsome men, choreographed dance routines, and a Jack Harlow feature – sign us up! The video currently sits at 239 million views and 6.5 million likes.
8. Doja Cat ft. SZA – Kiss Me More
Arguably the song of summer 2021, “Kiss Me More” saw Doja Cat team up with SZA for an infectious bop that everyone was vibing to. The video currently has 3.7 million likes and over 263 million views, but the real swinger is the TikTok trend that came from this song’s viral surge that only helped push this video’s popularity.
7. Olivia Rodrigo – “good 4 u”
2021 was the year of Olivia Rodrigo, and all we have to say is, “good 4 her!” Her third single off her SOUR album “good 4 u” had all of us revisiting our teen angst phase and being mad at a certain ex who looks “happy and healthy” without us. With over 300 million views, 5.8 million likes, and several Halloween costumes that came from this music video, Olivia Rodrigo takes the number 7 spot!
6. Olivia Rodrigo – “drivers license”
The song that started it all, “drivers license” came out at the beginning of 2021 and it took the world by storm. Taking Olivia Rodrigo from “that girl on that Disney show” to a pop superstar. The song broke Spotify’s record for the most-streamed song in a single week with over 65 million streams in just its first week. The song then became Spotify’s most-streamed song for 2021 with over 1.1 billion streams. The music video has garnered 321 million views, 7.8 million likes, and billions of broken hearts who sang along to this song daily.
5. Lil Nas X – “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)
If you’re looking for a *hell* of a music video, look no further. “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” had EVERYONE talking and is probably one of the most memorable music videos of all time. In the video Lil Nas is sentenced to the depths of hell (via a stripper pole, of course), where he eventually seduces the devil and gives him a lap dance. Truly iconic behaviour. The video now has over 405 million views and 9.5 million likes.
4. Justin Bieber ft. Daniel Caesar & Giveon – “Peaches”
No one ever has to wonder where Justin Bieber gets his “Peaches” from (spoiler alert: he gets them from Georgia). Bieber teamed up with fellow Canadian Daniel Caesar and Giveon for the infectious pop track that was the lead single from his Justice album, which he dropped in early 2021. The video currently has 442 million views and 6.5 million likes since its March 19th release.
3. Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak (Silk Sonic) – Leave the Door Open
While some of us were in the depths of quarantining, Silk Sonic, the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak, came together to get people up and moving in their homes with their catchy song “Leave the Door Open”. The music video currently has 451 million views accompanied by 5.8 million likes. This song bears a classic soul element but adds a modern twist.
2. The Weeknd – Save Your Tears
Canadian musician the Weeknd takes the number 2 spot for the most-watched music video of 2021, and we couldn’t be prouder! His track “Save Your Tears” has been watched over 625 million times, with 5.2 million likes, and this doesn’t even factor in the remix version he released with pop superstar Ariana Grande. The music, the video’s storyline, and the Weeknd’s vocals make this song what it is. Considering it came out in January 2021, it feels like the perfect song that describes our feelings for 2021.
1. BTS – “Butter”
With over 641 million views since its May 20, 2021 release date, BTS’s “Butter” claims the number 1 spot for the most-watched music video of 2021. “Butter” gained an impressive 20 million likes and then had a remix version featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Just as the lyrics suggest, this song and video are “smooth like butter.” The dance moves give off those K-pop elements we all know and love, and let’s face it – in 2021 we all joined the BTS Army, their songs are just too good!
Curious to know if your favourite song made YouTube’s top 100 most-watched music videos? Check out this playlist, which includes all this year’s hits. Here’s to 2022 and all the new music that’s to come!
