Skip to main content

7 most popular YouTube music videos of 2023, ranked

The sheer volume of content uploaded to YouTube is staggering to consider, and there’s no way one person could ever watch it all. Some videos, though, have emerged as the most popular on the service this year.

These may not be the year’s best videos, but they were certainly the most popular. They’re also all musical, and almost all are in Spanish or affiliated with Latin music. Here’s a rundown of the seven most popular videos of the year.

Recommended Videos

7. Flower by Jisoo – 439 million views

JISOO - ‘꽃(FLOWER)’ M/V

In addition to Latin music, the other defining trend of 2023 was an obsession with K-Pop, and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo was the biggest beneficiary of that. Flower, her mid-tempo dance track, effortlessly mixes traditional Korean melodies with more contemporary pop and was an enormous hit on the streamer this year. Flower was Jisoo’s first top-10 hit, but given its enormous success, the song seems unlikely to be her last.

6. Ella Baila Sola by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma – 449 million views

Ella Baila Sola - (Video Oficial) - Eslabon Armado y Peso Pluma - DEL Records 2023

The first regional Mexican song to reach the Billboard Top 10, Ella Baila Sola has TikTok to thank for a large part of its success, as that’s where the song originally went viral.

The song’s virality came in large part because it’s so catchy and because its story, about two friends who notice a woman dancing by herself, was so captivating to so many. Armado and Pluma are upstart artists, but given the tremendous success of this song, they might have pretty major futures in front of them.

5. UN X100TO by Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny – 637 million views

Grupo Frontera x Bad Bunny - UN X100TO (Video Oficial)

Bad Bunny was just edged out by Taylor Swift as the most listened-to artist of 2023, so it makes sense that this song was an ultra-viral hit.

Another song featuring plenty of regional Mexican influence (Grupo Frontera’s sport and trade) was combined with Bad Bunny’s skill and popularity to create one of the year’s biggest tracks. Bad Bunny has previously discussed his love for Mexican regional music, but UN X100TO was the first time he was featured on a song from that genre.

4. Flowers by Miley Cyrus – 652 million views

Miley Cyrus - Flowers (Official Video)

The only song by an American artist to crack this list, Miley Cyrus’s Flowers was one of the year’s biggest hits, and became viral on YouTube in part because it seemed to offer so much explicitly dish about her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, which was on again and off again for years.

Among other things, the video makes it pretty clear that Miley is convinced Liam had an affair with Jennifer Lawrence. Whether those allegations are true or not (Lawrence has denied them), they certainly added to the song’s enormous success.

3. Shakira || BZRP Music Sessions #53 – 661 million views

SHAKIRA || BZRP Music Sessions #53

Shakira was the year’s most dominant artist on YouTube without a double; BZRP Music Sessions #53 “broke the internet” and became one of the year’s most popular songs. The song is aimed squarely at Shakira’s ex, Gerard Pique, and also doubles as a women’s empowerment anthem.

It was Shakira’s first Top 10 Billboard hit since 2007 and number one in 16 other countries. On top of all that, the song appears to have had a notable impact on the sales of the brands mentioned in the song.

2. La Bebe (Remix) by Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma – 704 million views

Yng Lvcas & Peso Pluma - La Bebe (Remix) [Video Oficial]

Originally released in 2021, Yng Lvcas’ song took on a new life in 2023 thanks to two things: a remix and some virality on TikTok. This remix of the song featuring Peso Pluma has been viewed more than 700 million times this year, and that’s on top of all the listens it has accumulated on other platforms.

The remix was warmly received by critics, as was the original song, but the remix was more importantly well timed to capitalize on all the success the song was already seeing thanks to TikTok.

1. TQG by Shakira and Karol G – 899 million views

KAROL G, Shakira - TQG (Official Video)

Taking the number three and number one spot in the same year, Karol G’s TQG with Shakira was far and away the most-watched video of the year and is far closer to 1 billion views than any other video released in 2023.

The title, which stands for Te Quedó Grande, essentially means “too big for you.” The lyrics are a mix of empowerment and a diss track, and they lean into the reggaetón influence that has been so popular across the charts this year.

Topics
Joe Allen
Joe Allen is a freelance writer at Digital Trends, where he covers Movies and TV. He frequently writes streaming…
YouTube TV: plans, pricing, channels, how to cancel, and more
An NFL Sunday Ticket multiview option on YouTube TV.

Remember when Netflix was just a mail-order DVD service? Now that VOD platforms all but rule the world, every big entertainment brand is striving for its shot at streaming stardom. With new apps and services landing regularly, it can be hard to tell what platforms to pay attention to. But heed our words, friends: trust in YouTube TV. 

Similar to Hulu Plus Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo, and DirecTV Stream, YouTube TV offers linear and on-demand YouTube movies and shows. There are several other perks to enjoy too, and we’ve broken everything down in this complete guide to YouTube TV.

Read more
5 most popular Netflix shows of summer 2024, ranked
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughla in Bridgerton season 3.

Although it has plenty of competitors these days, Netflix remains the place most people think of first when they think of streaming. Over the summer of 2024, the service debuted plenty of great shows, but it can be hard to determine what the service's biggest hits actually were.

Thankfully, we've crunched some numbers and delivered that info. Using their publicly available list of the top 10 shows each week, we've determined which shows were the most watched this summer between June 1 and August 31. These shows dominated the top 10 for multiple weeks, and racked up views over the course of their dominance. Without further ado, these are the most popular Netflix shows of the summer.
5. American Murder: Laci Peterson -- 27.1 million viewers
American Murder: Laci Peterson | Official Trailer | Netflix

Read more
National Geographic expands on YouTube with new series and fourth channel, Nat Geo en Español
Poster of National Geographic's new YouTube channel, Nat Geo en Español.

On Tuesday, National Geographic announced the evolution of its digital footprint with several additions to its social media channels, including YouTube. National Geographic has added a fourth YouTube Channel, Nat Geo en Español.

Nat Geo en Español allows Spanish-speaking subscribers to consume National Geographic's award-winning content. The new channel will eventually host over 200 hours of Nat Geo's culture, wildlife, and history content. Since July 10, Nat Geo en Español has accumulated 10.2 million views, 3.4 million watch hours, and 46,000 subscribers.

Read more