Fastest viral videos based on number of views in 24 hours as of 2021

In May 2021, South Korean boy band BTS broke their own record for the fastest viral music video by generating 108.2 million views within 24 hours, with their new music video "Butter”. The seven-member band handily crushed fellow Korean pop band BLACKPINK's record of 86.3 million views back in 2020. The overall top-ranking video based on view count in the first 24 hours was a Facebook prank video based on the horror film "Rings" (2017).

Music videos on YouTube

Music videos are among the most popular content on YouTube. Currently, the most popular YouTube video based on lifetime views is “Baby Shark Dance". Eight of the top ten most-viewed videos are music videos. Music audiences are highly engaged and since 2010, all the most-viewed videos on YouTube have been music videos, with Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, PSY, and Wiz Khalifa successively claiming the title before ceding it to Luis Fonsi and "Despacito".

K-pop on Youtube Korean pop (K-pop) artists are currently making a splash on YouTube. Since the mid-2000s, K-pop has been a significant player in the East Asian music market, but it was not until PSY’s colorful and catchy “Gangnam Style” in 2012 that Korean music videos went truly mainstream in the Western music industry. Aside from BTS, other K-pop artists on the ranking of the fastest viral videos include Blackpink, PSY, and Twice.