Ariana Grande’s ‘Thank U, Next’ Video Breaks YouTube Record for Most Views in 24 Hours
Ariana Grande’s “Thank U, Next” video is a bona fide overnight sensation: It has smashed YouTube’s all-time record for most views in the first 24 hours of release.
The video, an homage to female-driven movies from the early 2000s, dropped at 12 p.m. PT on Friday after weeks of buildup — and set the record in just under 22 hours. As of Saturday at 9:35 a.m. PT, “Thank U, Next” had 46 million views, pushing it past the previous record holder, K-pop supergroup BTS, which notched 45.9 million views for their “Idol” music video in the first 24 hours in August.
As of noon PT Saturday, “Thank U, Next” had garnered a record 50.3 million views.]
In addition, according to YouTube, “Thank U, Next” set the record for most-viewed video that used YouTube’s Premiere scheduling feature with 829,0...