Justin Bieber is doing everything in his power to get his comeback single "Yummy" to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including an Instagram post advising fans to use artificial streaming tactics that he has since deleted, as was first reported by The Verge.
Bieber debuted the song "Yummy" on January 2 to lackluster critical reviews that accuse him of trying to reverse-engineer a TikTok meme. Bieber joined the short video-sharing platform and Gen Z favorite the day of the song's release, but the promotion certainly didn't end there.
One way Bieber is trying to land his third No. 1 single is with endless social media posts on the platforms where he retains staggering numbers of followers. These include ceaseless posting on Instagram, where Bieber bizarrely uploaded a series of baby photos, captioned either "#Yummy" or nothing at all.
A since-deleted Instagram post shows Bieber engaging in ethically murky tactics to artificially boost streams
He also posted and then deleted a series of graphics that appear to have been created by a fan account and sourced by Bieber's longtime manager Scooter Braun, according to screenshots collected by both pro- and anti- Bieber stans.
—cody (@codyspearz) January 10, 2020
The post asked Bieber's fans to help get "Yummy" to No. 1 by making Spotify playlists of the song on repeat and listening overnight on low volume "while you sleep." It also suggests using a VPN service to place the fan's location in the US, if they are located outside the country, so that streams will count toward US Billboard numbers.
Additionally, it tells fans to buy the song multiple times through Apple Music and on Bieber's online store. Screenshots of the post, now-deleted, have gained traction on social media, where users are making fun of Bieber's transparent ploys and listening to the single's competitor, "The Box" by Roddy Ricch, to prevent "Yummy" from hitting No. 1.
—indie (@INDIEWASHERE) January 10, 2020
Not only is the post unusually upfront – especially for an artist with the magnitude of Bieber – but it raises questions whether it's an outright attempt to artificially inflate the singer's streaming numbers. The pushback against this practice was legitimatized in June, when top recording conglomerations signed a list of best practices.
Universal Music Group owns Bieber's record label Def Jam Recordings, and it signed onto the best practices campaign. While the efforts specifically targeted automated processes, "pay-for-play" operations, and inauthentic accounts, the Bieber tactics are still questionable – especially because of the VPN suggestion, which falsifies a listener's location.
Beyond that Instagram post, Bieber has also seemingly taken advantage of another metric that counts toward Billboard placement: YouTube. In addition to a lyric video and music video, Bieber has also produced two animated music videos for "Yummy," including one in tandem with his new merchandising line Drew House.
It's an interesting ploy for the singer for sure, since his star power already guaranteed an impressive ranking on Billboard. But acquiring another No. 1 spot would put him on par with record-breakers like Mariah Carey, so this week's chart debut could be meaningful enough to Bieber and his team to push extra hard on fans.
Representatives of Bieber and UMG didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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