PUBLIC OPINION > PSY Was the Biggest Breakout Star of 2012
SodaHead Celebs
2012/12/19 18:00:00
Pop culture isn't everyone's cup of tea, but try as you may, it's hard to avoid hearing about the flavor of the week -- even if that flavor makes you cringe. We're not gonna justify Honey Boo Boo's stardom or tell you One Direction has a stellar song selection, but they definitely made a mark on the industry. We pitted eight of the year's ripest rookies and asked the public who the biggest breakout star of 2012 was.
PSY
Oppan Gangnam style! With nearly a billion views on YouTube since it was posted in July, "Gangnam Style" made Korean artist PSY (real name Park Jae-sang) a shoe-in for biggest star. Let's get some perspective: Justin Bieber's "Baby," formerly the most-viewed video on YouTube, has received 812 million views in nearly two years. It took PSY less than six months to beat that. Will he burn bright or fizzle out? Only time will tell.
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen
"Call Me Maybe" wasn't quite as popular as "Gangnam Style" -- it was released a few months earlier and only has about a third of the views -- but it's at least as catchy. Plus, Jepsen managed to land a second successful single with her Owl City collaboration, "Good Time." It didn't get the attention "Maybe" did, but 67 million views in a few months and loads of positive feedback suggests a certain amount of staying power. Again, we'll have to wait and see.
One Direction
One Direction
None of One Direction's songs have as many views as "Gangnam Style" or "Call Me Maybe," but these guys are moving fast. According to Sony Music, their "empire" is already worth upwards of $50 million. Boy bands are boy bands -- they probably won't win a Grammy, but they can definitely sing. Maybe one of them will be the next Justin Timberlake. Or maybe they'll all be the next Chris Kirkpatrick. (Who? Exactly.)
Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas
Finally, someone who isn't a pop singer! The 2012 Olympics were the "most watched event in TV history," but evidently that wasn't enough to get Gabby Douglas or Ryan Lochte into the top three. To be fair, the event starred more than 10,000 athletes, so the interest was probably spread out. Plus, the "most watched event in TV history" only amounted to about 220 million viewers -- fewer than "Call Me Maybe."
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about the biggest breakout stars of 2012. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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AlienBites 2012/12/24 14:25:07
such as Aela Shahkar has very nice voice
!