Eurovision 2019 kicks off on Tuesday.
And views for this year’s music videos are pouring in on YouTube. While YouTube views are not a direct proxy to Eurovision success, they may give some indication of how acts will fare during the live shows. So we’ve rounded up the most viewed videos for you.*
Most viewed music videos of 2019:
1. Malta – Chameleon: 7.627 million views
In first position we have Malta’s Michela with “Chameleon“. The video features flashy graphics and some colorful characters accompanying Michela. The lyrics are displayed prominently on the screen to make sure that Michela’s message comes across loud and clear. Like the video for last year’s winner “TOY”, “Chameleon” is vibrant and in your face. And maybe this is a winning combination because with almost eight million views, Malta has accrued more YouTube views than any other entry this year. Of note Malta has made use of paid promotions on YouTube, with the video playing ahead of some clips, so this may influence the views amassed.
2. The Netherlands – Arcade: 7.356 million views
Just behind Malta is bookies’ favourite Duncan Laurence from The Netherlands. Duncan’s song, “Arcade“, has just a few hundred thousand fewer views than Malta but is much less visually extravagant. The cool colors and haunting vocals are on the other side of the visual spectrum from Malta, but both have managed to blow away the competition in terms of YouTube views.
3. Armenia – Walking Out: 4.906 million views
Rounding out the top three is Armenia’s Srbuk with Walking Out. With almost five million views, Armenia still has a ways to go in order to catch up with Duncan and Michela, but with a million and half views between herself and the fourth place finisher, Srbuk is walking out of the shadows and earns her spot comfortably in the top three.
The rest of the results from the YouTube rundown (as of noon Israeli time of the 11th of May 2019) are as follows:
4. Italy: 3.464 million views
5. Switzerland: 3.416 million views
6. Russia: 2.593 million views
7. Sweden: 2.455 million views
8. France: 2.320 million views
9. Cyprus: 2.123 million views
10. Belgium: 1.988 million views
11. Azerbaijan: 1.868 million views
12. Portugal: 1.728 million views
13. Australia: 1.694 million views
14. Germany: 1.669 million views
15. Belarus: 1.582 million views
16. Greece: 1.502 million views
17. Spain: 1.478 million views
18. North Macedonia: 1.468 million views
19. Lithuania: 1.343 million views
20. Israel: 1.224 million views
21. Albania: 1.197 million views
22. Poland: 1.082 million views
23. San Marino: 1.004 million views
24. Estonia: 0.971 million views
25. Romania: 0.893 million views
26. Ireland: 0.868 million views
27. Finland: 0.803 million views
28. Slovenia: 0.802 million views
29. Norway: 0.771 million views
30. Austria: 0.729 million views
31. Denmark: 0.697 million views
32. Czech Republic: 0.691 million views
33. Montenegro: 0.687 million views
34. Moldova: 0.645 million views
35. Latvia: 0.621 million views
36. Iceland: 0.615 million views
37. Hungary: 0.584 million views
38. Croatia: 0.346 million views
39. United Kingdom: 0.224 million views
40. Serbia: 0.217 million views
41. Georgia: 0.191 million views
What do you think? Is Chameleon your favourite video of 2019? Or do you think another country deserves more views? Do you think this means Malta may win? Let us know in the comments below!
*Accurate Israeli time 12pm, May 11
So many good videos this year, Netherlands, Malta, Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Switzerland, even the Uk, it’s going to be good tonight. Can’t wait.
Honestly even if Malta did promote their song on YouTube, wouldn’t that be a clever strategy, I mean if that’s the case Italy would have way more views than they have, Portugal in their NF after Conan won quickly got 1 million views. And the Netherlands have nearly 8 million views. After how many years of doing badly, Malta want to win what’s the problem with that.
Malta welldone….
Aww I didn’t think the UK YouTube views would be so low, considering their video is so much better than Suries last year yet they haven’t even reached a million. Also Cyprus and Portugal I expected to be top 5, Sweden although they always have great entry’s, this year is good as well which doesn’t surprise me. And I saw Italy had 80 million views not on the Eurovision Page, So technically they would of been the most. But I love how we don’t know who will win, it hasn’t been this close since 2015.
Poor Georgia, not very lucky for two years in a row. A Good glass of wine will solve this situation
The video I think is a real masterpiece is the video of Soldi, and I just want to point out that when you put in youtube ” mahmood soldi” the first video that appears is the one in Mahmood channel vevo, exactly the same video of eurovision channel video, that has almost 80 millions views. If you go see the comments below the video on mahmood youtube channel many people are non italian who write 12 points to, 10 point to… so they are there for eurovision. So I think this other official videos (not only for italy but also… Read more »
I think almost all the UK views must be from me as I can’t get enough of Michael’s voice he’s so amazing with an equally amazing song, he’s gonna do my country proud on Saturday
As an Armenian, I really did not like what Iveta did in 2016. It was just the wrong act at the wrong place and I really understand why the azeri reporter got mad at the qualifiers press conference after (if I remember correctly). However, I think that EBU only punishes really big stuff (Romania 2016 debt) that is why they did not do anything to Iveta. But I also think that it did not have anything to do with Sacha Jean Baptise staging LoveWave…
This happen when there is Anton Attard in the malta delegation. This man had other priorities in his mind. A word that begins with M and ends with Y. Trust me
Just reached the 8 millions now. I think Malta can win the televote this year. France will stole some vote to the Netherlands,
The staging is wonderful, Michela is adorable and sings well mostly. But the running order can also ruin everything as they will likely draw 1st half now 🙁
You must consider everything about malta. First malta used its video as an ad on youtube, second there is no other video of the song so the official video remain the unique source where you can hear it. Also on spotify and itunes it was realeased 5 weeks later. She doesnt top the spotify streaming. It was type of marketing propoganda that they choose to do.
It’s not a propaganda. It’s called marketing strategy. Many artists are releasing NEW music content… a week before the contest. Is that by coincidence? I think not. It’s to get people talking and to listen to their new songs. It’s a different type of promotion. Also by going to pre-parties and stuff. Malta is a small island which can do with these type of promotions. It does not have the luck of neighboring countries voting for them. ALSO, Chameleon was released on Spotify very late due to her contract with Sony and it’s catching up with the others quiet quickly.… Read more »
On the one hand the Netherlands’ population is much greater than that of Malta. This largely compensates for the marketing strategies being spoken about. Malta does not have enough Maltese people to generate a substantial amount of views, so it depends on others. The views and likes are almost solely from other countries in the case of Malta. On the other hand, all countries perform some form of marketing in one way or another. For instance, many comments are being submitted from the Netherlands in several YouTube Eurovision videos saying they’ll be giving their 12 points to this and to… Read more »
Honestly only heard a little bit of the Maltese song, which was alright. But I absolutely love Portugal, Cyprus, Switzerland is good, Netherlands is good also, and Azerbaijan surprised me aswell, and even the Uk who is underrated isn’t that bad this year. But who knows it’s anyone’s game this year.
Doing my final top 41 before the contest and I have eight songs I really love this year that I am really struggling to choose from. Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Azerbaijan and Czech Rep I love you all. Would be happy with any of these winning.
Malta is sizzling this year
8M before the end of day mostly now. Rehearsal clip is also doing very well, only 10k less than the Netherlands and it’s Malta, the less populated country participating after San-Marino.
And Iceland
I hope so! It has grown on me. I really need a cheerful winner, not a depressing one. It would be great to see Malta being the new Portugal.
I’m surprised the views of Malta’s and Armenia’s videos haven’t reached yet.
Well these are mostly watched by fans…the majority of botersaus Will see the performances the coming week for the first time…its getting exciting!
#thunderandlightning
Why so much hate for such a tiny island with 400000 Islanders.?
I dont really see hate comments about Malta here? Most comments are either way positive towards the beautiful videoclip or neutral
Let’s not forget that Chameleon is also Michela’s X Factor debut single so many Maltese who voted her as winner probably helped with the views. I think the song itself is brilliant. Like a finished product, ready to sell to the international market. Its Top 10 worthy for me 😉
Youtube obviously doesn’t predict the winner. There’s so many factors apart from the quality of the song: the popularity of the singer (e.g. France), popularity of Eurovision/national selection (Sweden and Italy every year), how many habitants does the country have, the date the video was uploaded, is there any other version of that video on Youtube, the ads (Malta), how in imteresting is the video in itself, the list goes on… + when you look at the recent years, 2018 was the only year when Youtube got the winner right – 2017 Sweden/Italy, 2016 Russia/Italy, 2015 Russia/Italy, 2014 Armenia/Poland.
Yeah as some already mentioned the views grew so fast partly because the song was used as an ad. It happened quite often that I opened a Eurovision video and then Cameleon started to play. I can’t remember having seen any other song as ad this year.
But these are only about views on the Eurovision channel of course.
Promotion is done in various ways. Some release new songs, some go to pre-partys. This year Malta preferred to promote its song through YouTube and skip the pre parties to focus more on rehearsals. I guess it’s a great idea!
If they count those few seconds of the Malta ad as a view before video starts and people click “skip ad”, then the Netherlands has had in fact more bona fide views so it should be #1.
That means this video appeared everywhere even if I had clicked on “I don’t like”! This was quite annoying…
Promotion is done in various ways. Some release new songs, some go to pre-partys. This year Malta preferred to promote its song through YouTube and skip the pre-parties to focus more on rehearsals. I guess it’s a great idea!
Nah it’s Armenia, EBU fears to hurt them;don’t you remember EBU didn’t even do anything when Iveta had raised the flag that she wasn’t even allowed to bring in the venue???
Armenia won’t do well this time, spike in videos or not. The staging is not ok.
The videoclip of malta was used as a Ad on YouTube that’s why IT had more views.
You can only blame Youtube’s view count policy if that’s the case. I didn’t even knew that you could advertise other videos from Youtube on Youtube, I have never experienced it. I wonder what people do for it, I only get adds for cars, movies or goodies even waching the most diversity subjects videos.
It’s called marketing strategy. Many artists are releasing NEW musical content.. a week before the contest. Is that by coincidence? I think not. It’s to get people talking and to listen to their new songs. It’s a different type of promotion. Also by going to pre-parties and stuff.
Malta is a small island which can do with these type of promotions. It does not have the luck of neighboring countries voting for them.
If you look outside the Eurovision channel, the top three is way more different tho! Soldi has almost 80 millions views, Roi almost 20 millions combined, Sergey 5,5.
Most viewed on the Eurovision official channel, not on Youtube, even though views mean nothing about a possible victory. There are songs which habe been premiered on the Eurovision channel (Malta, Switzerland, Netherlands, Azerbaijan) and songs which came on Youtube before (Italy, France, Germany) and then on the official channel, making less views there.
…is this just views on the official eurovision channel, or for all uploaded versions of the music video? Because i know that some performers released their videos on other channels first before the eurovision channel uploaded them
i feel like that would make a few differences in the ranking and numbers
I don’t know if that counts as a view, but I often get the official music video of Chameleon playing instead of an ad on many Youtube videos – it’s always Chameleon, never any of the other eurovision song, only this one.
she has a contract with sony music italy so they’re probably spending money on payola, she’s also been added to several spotify playlists
Its not An ad of Spotify OR Sony music its the official ESC channel
Same thing here.
Armenia also used to pay for ads on many Youtube videos, so that both Malta and Armenia “bought” their views?
Yes, both armenia and malta bought their views.
I don’t get why do artists and countries do that. It didn’t help on our natonal (serbian) selection, and it won’t help on eurovision. I understand they wanted to hype up their own song but that’s useless, it needs to happen organically like with the Netherlands.
Armenia has got so many views and we are talking about their possible non qualification.
The Netherlands has the most real views.
As always, as long as the juries exist, Youtube views will foresee nothing