Justin Bieber’s comeback single, “Yummy,” is bound to make a major impact on the charts, but some of the practices he’s cosigned have raised social media complaints of potential chart manipulation.
A now-deleted Instagram post Bieber re-shared from a fan page laid out a number of strategies to boost the song on the Hot 100 chart. This includes encouraging international fans to use a VPN (or Virtual Private Network) to mask their IP addresses and create Spotify accounts posing as US-based streamers.
The use of VPNs has previously triggered an official response from Billboard. In 2018, Chinese superstar Kris Wu saw iTunes sales of his album, Antares, put under review after fans in China were accused of widespread VPN usage to download the project. It turned out that the album had been delayed in China to coincide with his birthday, and fans were trying to access the music via its stateside release. At the time, he was out-selling Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next” on iTunes, and her manager Scooter Braun spoke out about Wu’s chart performance on social media.
Braun also manages Bieber, and now somewhat ironically finds himself on the other side of the VPN issue.
In a statement to Genius, a source at Billboard explained how the company works to prevent the charts from being manipulated. “[As previously noted], Nielsen/MRC Data and its data providers, including streaming services, have systems in place to prevent fans, record labels, artists and others from attempting to rig chart performance, including the usage of VPN accounts to generate the appearance of U.S.-based data,” the source explained.
Bieber also encouraged more tame tactics to boost the numbers on “Yummy.” This includes making lengthy playlists of the song in order to run up its streaming numbers, buying multiple copies of the song, and repeatedly watching the YouTube video in a way that will maximize its impact. He’s also uploaded seven YouTube videos for “Yummy,” including a lyric video, two animated videos, a “food fight” video, a lip sync video, and a fans react video.
While many of these strategies aren’t explicitly against Billboard’s rules—and are often employed independently by pop fandoms—it’s rare to see artists openly encouraging the behavior. Chris Brown was criticized for posting similar instructions for fans after releasing his 2017 album, Heartbreak On a Full Moon.
Despite Bieber’s best efforts, California rapper Roddy Ricch looks poised to top the chart next week with his hit single, “The Box.” He’ll also face stiff competition from Post Malone’s “Circles” and Maroon 5’s “Memories.”
“Yummy” is set to appear on Bieber’s long-awaited fifth album, which is reportedly expected to drop in March.
Read all the lyrics to Justin Bieber’s “Yummy” on Genius now.
