Music is one of the few industries where women are given the same amount of opportunities as men today. It was not always like that; they have fought for their place in the music world and succeeded. It is not only significant for the music industry but the entire human civilization as well. Female artists have and are still contributing a lot to the global music scene. Today female musicians make up most of the global musical creations. Their popularity has skyrocketed in recent times with music videos accompanying the tracks. Not just singing they have won the hearts of the music lovers with their dancing and performing skills as well. Here we discuss the five most viewed music videos by female artists:
#1. ‘Roar’ by Katy Perry
‘Roar’ is the lead singer of pop queen Katy Perry’s 2013 studio album, ‘Prism’. The music video of the track is currently is the most viewed MV by a female musician with more than 3.4 billion views. The brilliant artist co-wrote the song with Bonnie Mckee and the music video was produced by Dr. Luke, Cirkut, and Max Martin. The song is well-known for its arena rock flavors mixed with its dynamic pop resonance. It is best known for its inspiring lyrics that have empowered the entire generation.
The song got the nominations for t Best Pop Solo of the Year and the Song of the Year at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards. It was a huge commercial success and topped the charts all over the world. It is the first female-centered video to reach the 3 billion mark on YouTube. It has sold more than 6.6 billion copies in the US alone acquiring the diamond certification by the RIAA. The song imparts the message of overcoming hardships and empowering oneself in the process.
#2. ‘Dark Horse’ by Katy Perry
At number 2 it’s Katy Perry again. Her other single, ‘Dark Horse’ from the fourth album, ‘Prism’ is at the number two position on ‘the most viewed music videos by female artists’ list. Released in 2013, the music video has also crossed the 3 billion mark on YouTube. The track features rapper Juicy J who co-wrote the lyrics with Katy herself. Sarah Hudson joined Dr. Luke, Max Martin, and Cirkut to produce the music video. The song features a unique blend of electropop, hip hop, pop-rap, and trap encapsulated in a single captivating symphony.
The song is most known for the amazing music video. It features spectacular visuals depicting the ancient Egyptian world with Perry as the queen. The song also topped charts in 20 countries all over the world. It also got a nomination at the Grammy for the Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. It sold over 13 billion copies becoming the second best selling record in 2014. The track received mostly positive reviews from the music critics and was a huge success commercially.
#3. ‘Shake It Off’ by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is at number 3 with her 2014 hit single, ‘Shake It Off’. It is the lead single from her fifth studio album, ‘1989’, released through Big Machine Records. Taylor co-wrote the track with the producers, Shellback and Max Martin. The song features an upbeat dance-pop rhythm with her brutally honest lyrics. The gifted musician talks about the negative view of her image that her critics have built for her and how she does not care a bit about it. The song was a huge hit all over the world.
The music video has crossed the 3 billion view mark on YouTube recently. It was at the number one spot at the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks. It also reached the number one place in music charts in many countries like Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Poland, Hungary, and more. It received the diamond certification from the RIAA. Swift received the Songwriter of the Year at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards for the track in 2015. The song won Song of the Year at iHeartRadio Music Awards in 2015 as well.
#4. ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ by Shakira
With 2.9 billion views on YouTube, Colombian singing sensation Shakira’s ‘Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)’ is at the number 4 position on the list. South African band Freshlyground is featured in the song. It is actually the official song of the FIFA World Cup 2010. Released by Epic Records it is one of the most successful world cup songs in the world. The song was produced to encourage not only the players but the audience as well.
It was well-received by both the audience and the critics. It got the platinum certification from the RIAA for selling more than 1 million units in the US. It was certification double diamond in India and diamond in Sweden and France. It is now one of the best-selling singles of all time. Shakira herself performed the song at the opening and the closing ceremony of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. It is part of the album, ‘Listen Up!’ the official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album.
#5. ’Hello’ by Adele
English singer-songwriter Adele brought the world to a standstill with her 2015 hit single, ‘Hello’. The music video has over 2.8 billion views on YouTube making it the 5th most viewed music video by female artists. It is the lead single on her third studio album, ‘25’. The piano ballad with a prominent influence of soul rhythms blended perfectly with her hypnotic vocal performance became a huge hit all over the world. The song was the 7th best-selling single of that year and one of the best-selling digital singles of all time.
The music video acquired more than 27 million views within just 24 hours on YouTube. It won three awards at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance. It also received the Brit Awards for Song of the year. It topped the UK Singles Chart, Canada Hot 100, and Billboard Hot 100. It received 7x platinum certification by the RIAA.