Lady Gaga 'Applause' Controversy: Singer Criticized For Cheating Views With Incentives And Video Loops, Sets Record For With 14.5 Million Views In One Day
Lady Gaga may be asking for "Applause," but the singer is currently embroiled in controversy for "commissioning" views to cheat the Billboard charts.
Lady Gaga's "Applause" music video has broken the record for the most viewed in one day, breaking Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" record of 10.7 million with a whopping 14.5 million views.
However, the "Artpop" singer has received criticism for using Twitter to urge fans to inflate the views by repeatedly watching the video. Lady Gaga has even gone so far as to offer a free trip to meet the singer for those with the most "purchase/gift screenshots, radio requests, 'Applause' selfies/video."
One person who has spoken out against Lady Gaga's Twitter behavior is Billboard's Bill Werde. Werde also took to Twitter to express his criticism over Lady Gaga's tactics.
We count multiple views per person. Go to Vevo and keep watching a video on your own and we count it.
— Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
An artist tweeting out and facebooking a link that enables a fan to hit play and leave their computer is not in the spirit of what we chart. — Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
Tweeting that other artists game the system is like telling a cop other people were speeding. When we catch it we stop it. — Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
All credit & benefit of doubt that facebook/Twitter posts are down. Maybe it's true that a link was sent to 10s of millions with no look. — Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
Please keep this in context. Streaming is only a portion of Hot100 and surely overwhelming percent of views have been well-earned.
— Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
I just hate to see anyone try to game the charts, be it fans or artists. It's not in the spirit of what we do, celebrating success. — Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
Just need to keep playlisted data off chart. Gaga fans sending me threats and profanity: don't you think this is why she deleted that link? — Bill Werde (@bwerde) August 21, 2013
Still, it seem the Lady Gaga tactic has worked, now that "Applause" has broken a record.