As Twitchy reported, Lady Gaga’s new single, “Applause” is selling well below expectations despite an aggressive marketing push from Gaga Inc.
Last night, Gaga retweeted a link that seemed to be designed for the sole purpose of garnering fake views for “Applause” on YouTube. Billboard editorial director Bill Werde caught her red-handed:
https://twitter.com/bwerde/status/370037286668206081
We count multiple views per person. Go to Vevo and keep watching a video on your own and we count it.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
An artist tweeting out and facebooking a link that enables a fan to hit play and leave their computer is not in the spirit of what we chart.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
Tweeting that other artists game the system is like telling a cop other people were speeding. When we catch it we stop it.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
Please keep this in context. Streaming is only a portion of Hot100 and surely overwhelming percent of views have been well-earned.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
I just hate to see anyone try to game the charts, be it fans or artists. It's not in the spirit of what we do, celebrating success.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
After explaining why Lady Gaga’s apparent attempt to “game the system” will be rebuffed, Werde started addressing angry arguments from Gaga’s “Little Monsters,” the term applied to her fans.
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Of course not RT @ItsMeDanielP_: @bwerde she's telling fans to watch her video/share it with friends. Is self promotion really a crime now?
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
I'm not suggesting these wouldn't count RT @LGMonsterFacts: Applause already had 12.5M views before Gaga even tweeted the link @bwerde
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
Just need to keep playlisted data off chart. Gaga fans sending me threats and profanity: don't you think this is why she deleted that link?
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
Gaga has been deleting a lot of tweets lately.
Tweetwood saved the deleted tweet:
Here’s the playlist that Gaga was directing her fans to. It contains nothing except 150 copies of Gaga’s Applause video. Hitting “Play All” would cause the video to play over and over again, 150 times.
That's my point. RT @Anthagiox: @bwerde No, she deleted it because she realized it was a shitty link that cheated.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
A personal fave: RT @RatchetMonster: @bwerde are you retarted
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
@bwerde no its because you're a dumbass and we hate you
— Nick (@XtinaGoulding) August 21, 2013
Just scrolled thru 100s of tweets. Most gaga fans have been more or less polite. Ill try to clear up a few questions, then I must sleep.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
1. It is fine to self-promote, send links to fans, etc. my objection is to playlisting. It seems some fans are unaware such a link was sent.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
2. By "playlisting" I mean a link to "watch" the same video 150 times: roughly 9 straight hours of the same vid.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
3. I've been/remain a fan of gaga's. I have previously tweeted my affinity for Applause. None of this has anything to do w chart integrity.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
4. Im not suggesting we'll discount credible views. I suspect (but wont know til AM) YouTube antispam tech will take care of playlisting.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
5. I believe in transparency & dialog. That's why I discuss here before all is neatly resolved. I learned a lot from y'all tonight. Thanks.
— Bill Werde (@BillWerde) August 21, 2013
Acclaimed producer/songwriter Dr. Luke calls the practice “not kosher.”
@bwerde wow… didn't know about that… not kosher
— Dr. Luke Doctor Luke (@TheDoctorLuke) August 21, 2013
Dr. Luke co-wrote Katy Perry’s “Roar,” which, unlike “Applause,” is a bona fide hit.
Gaga now claims it was all an innocent mistake:
Sorry I didn't check the last link! Hold please….
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 21, 2013
She also claims “Applause” is #1 on worldwide charts:
Applause is back at #1 on the worldwide charts! & we're just getting started. Back to rehearsal *pounds boxing gloves+hifives Sedgwick Swan*
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) August 21, 2013
Mother Monster would have a lot more credibility if she provided a link to those alleged worldwide charts. On iTunes charts in the United States, Germany, Brazil, Belgium, Switzerland, South Africa, Austria, Ireland, Canada, India, New Zealand, and Australia, “Applause” is lagging behind “Roar.”
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