Bruno Mars and Rosé have added another achievement to their illustrious careers as their song APT continues to break records. However, the latest milestone has sparked a heated controversy.
According to recent reports, APT has crossed 500 billion views on YouTube, making it the fastest K-pop song to break the record.
It is pertinent to note that the record was previously held by BTS’ Dynamite for over four years.
While APT has been breaking records since its release, the unprecedented speed of its rise has led to intense discussions on social media, particularly on X, formerly Twitter, with many netizens expressing scepticism about the new feat.
“Is this even possible, man?” one user questioned, highlighting allegations of artificial inflation of views and YouTube traffic tampering with hired streams.
Another user chimed in, “There’s no way you pull 500 million views in a month without massive YouTube ads right now! Let’s be serious, pls [sic].”
Comparisons were quickly drawn to other global hits, with users noting that Blinding Lights by The Weeknd garnered 885 million views in four years, As It Was by Harry Styles amassed 788 million in two years, and STAY by The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber reached one billion views in a month.
These claims have led some to suspect irregularities in APT’s numbers. However, fans of BLACKPINK, Bruno Mars, and Rosé were quick to hit back the controversies with their arguments.
“She’s [Rosé] part of the biggest girl group, which is the #1 most-subscribed artist right now. They achieve these numbers with every comeback, from solos to group music videos,” a BLACKPINK supporter wrote in response.
Tampering allegations aside, the global fandoms of Bruno Mars and the BLACKPINK star are undeniably powerful. While rival fandoms remain sceptical about the numbers, fans continue to support APT as it poises to be a global phenomenon.
