This archive report was first published on 5 July 2021.
Harmonize Embroiled in YouTube Views Scandal ¶
July 5, 2021
Tanzanian singer Harmonize has found himself in a spot of trouble after allegations emerged that he bought fake YouTube views to boost the popularity of his song 'Sandakalawe'. The song, which was released recently, has garnered a staggering 4.3 million views, but the likes, dislikes, and comments on the video do not match the views.
According to Pulse Live, Harmonize might have doctored his YouTube views to appear as the most watched artiste among his competitors. The song is currently trending at number 4 in Tanzania and number 13 in Kenya.
For comparison, Alikiba's song, which was released on June 30th, 2021, has garnered over 2.9 million views, with over 21K comments, 80K likes, and 2.8K dislikes. Diamond Platnumz's song 'Kamata', which was released on June 29, 2021, has over 3.1 million views, 84K likes, 5.1 dislikes, and over 10K comments. Zuchu's video '#Nyumbandogo', which was dropped on June 1st, 2021, has over 2.1 million views, 45K likes, 2.1K dislikes, and 4.4K comments.
Nigerian singer Naira Marley has weighed in on the controversy, advising his fellow musicians not to buy YouTube views, as the likes and comments on the video will always expose them. 'Stop buying YouTube Views…We can tell by the likes', Naira Marley wrote.
