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Lorde's 'Royals' Hits 1 Billion YouTube Views

3/25/2026

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Story summary
  • Lorde (Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor), the New Zealand singer, saw Royals reach 1 billion YouTube views after its June 2013 release.
  • Joel Kefali directed the video.
  • Royals topped the Billboard Hot 100 for nine weeks, making Lorde the youngest chart-topper since 1987.
  • The track earned Grammy nominations and won Song of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance, and the video won Best Rock Video at the 2014 Video Music Awards (VMAs).