But first, we can’t ignore the elephant in the room: Last year’s YouTube Rewind, um, wasn’t your favorite (to put it lightly…). So this year, we tried something different and looked at what you did like — a lot. Our Rewind 2019 video compiles the top videos and creators that you liked and watched the most around the world, from the biggest games to must-watch beauty palettes and breakout stars.
But of course, it’s also time to announce our annual lists of top trending videos and top music videos.
2019 saw creators transform into mainstream celebrities with genre-defying influence: James Charles and Tati’s back-and-forth transcended the beauty community; Shane Dawson continued to find success with his longform docuseries format and foray into the makeup world; and MrBeast’s ultra-charitable challenge videos united viewers across the internet.
Also on this year’s top trending list: A long-requested episode of Hot Ones, a meme-making moment from Soulja Boy, a conversation-starting short film, SNL’s most-watched sketch of 2019, an underdog victory in the ring, and an informational video on why spiders and bees are actually our friends.
Collectively, these 10 videos were watched 305 million times and for around 50 million hours. The channels behind them total more than 110 million subscribers.
In music, Lil Nas X emerged from obscurity to take the top spot, and powerhouse female artists (Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish) continued to transform the sound of pop.
For a deeper look at the year on YouTube and to see the top videos and trends in many other countries, head to this year’s Rewind site.
Posted by Kevin Allocca, Head of Culture & Trends
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