The Weeknd, Little Mix and Lil Nas X have had some of the UK’s most popular music videos over the past 12 months, Vevo said.
Canadian singer The Weeknd was the most viewed artist last year with 94.3 million views, followed by Little Mix with 93.7 million views – who announced their split last week.
Montero (Call Me By Your Name) by Lil Nas X has secured the top spot on the Vevo Engagement Chart for 2021 – which ranks videos based on the most likes, shares and comments.
After six years, Adele’s debut single, Easy On Me, from her new album, ranked number two in this regard.
US pop sensation Olivia Rodrigo has had a stellar year with her album Sour, becoming the seventh most-watched Vevo artist of 2021 in the UK.
The 18-year-old singer-songwriter has increased his music video viewership tenfold to 64.01 million views in the UK this year, according to Vevo.
Globally, Karol G tops the list of most-watched artists of 2021 with 3.11 billion views, followed closely by The Weeknd who had 3.10 billion views.
Alan Price, CEO of Vevo, said, “Vevo is the music video destination for artists of all genres and at all career stages. Our charts feature both established stars, like Taylor Swift and Future, and newer names that also made headlines this year, like Lil Nas X and Olivia Rodrigo.
“In 2021, fan consumption and engagement with music videos continued to inform a great deal about the vital nature of the music video in driving, shaping and responding to cultural moments.”
Old favorites have been boosted by high profile celebrity romances this year.
Jennifer Lopez has seen a surge in viewership amid numerous reports about her relaunch with actor Ben Affleck, who appeared in her Jenny From The Block music video.
In September, viewership for Machine Gun Kelly’s Bloody Valentine, starring actress Megan Fox, doubled after he and Fox walked the VMAs red carpet.
The European Championship caused a significant increase in the viewership of anthems such as Baddiel, Skinner and The Lightning Seeds’ Three Lions, which drew 31 times their usual viewership.
Meanwhile, Scottish DJ George GBX Bowie’s remix of Baccara’s Yes Sir I Can Boogie for the Scottish Euros campaign boosted the number of views for that music video fivefold.
Likewise, fans have turned to music videos to remember artists like Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, whose death in August led to a 140% increase in viewership.
The growing popularity of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram has spurred the rediscovery of nostalgic music videos, including Boney M’s Rasputin and Earth, Wind And Fire’s Let’s Groove Tonight.
The year’s top trends in TikTok-influenced music videos include Mitski’s Washing Machine Heart, Trinidad Cardona’s Dinero, and J Cole’s She Knows.
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