The song at #9 in the Billboard Hot 100 is a perfect example of a relatively recent change to Billboard’s tracking formula.
The chart now reflects not only radio play and sales data but online streaming on sites such as YouTube. This is a good change, because looking at the millions of views amassed by popular artists, it’s clear that online video streaming is a major means of consumption in the 21st century.
A Billboard chart that didn’t include Psy’s ‘Gangnam Style’ a couple of years back simply wouldn’t have been an accurate reflection of the popular musical landscape. And while I’m sure plenty of people bought that single, the video has been watched — wait for it — just shy of 2 billion times.
It is this online streaming measure that places the obscure indie artist Soko in the Billboard Top Ten this week. Her ‘We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow’ serves as the score for the viral ‘First Kiss‘ video, which depicts strangers making out in the name of selling clothes or something.
The video has been watched more than 72 million times (and spawned dozens of parodies) and it’s the entire reason Soko can now say she’s had a top ten hit.
‘Cause for all we know
We might be dead by tomorrow
I can’t
Go on wasting my time
Adding scars to my heart
‘Cause all I hear is
“I’m not ready now”
And I can tell
That you didn’t have
To face your mother
losing her love
Without saying goodbye
Without saying goodbye
‘Cause she didn’t have time
I don’t want to judge
What’s in your heart
But if you’re not ready for love
How can you be ready for life?
How can you be ready for life?
So let’s love fully
And let’s love loud
Let’s love now
‘Cause soon enough we’ll die
‘Cause soon enough we’ll die
Meet Me In Montauk 
Wow, I’ve never heard of this song, nor had I seen the First Kiss video. I can see why the video went viral. So interesting! And I guess my comment yesterday regarding the change in Billboard charting was rather prescient.😄
This is the first time I’ve seen the video, though it was all over my news feed a few weeks ago. Cool song and clever advertising premise (though I’m still not sure what they were advertising)