Britain’s Got Talent

YouTube’s Most Popular Clips: 10 Videos, a Lot of Music and Half a Billion Views

Peter Kafka in Media on December 16, 2009 at 4:46 am PT

Susan Boyle you know. But what about Pitbull and Keri Hinson?

Voices

Susan Boyle Album Tops Amazon Pre-Orders

Andrew LaVallee, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on October 21, 2009 at 2:30 pm PT

A month ahead of its release, Susan Boyle’s album has more advance orders on Amazon.com than any CD in the retailer’s history, it said. The Sony album, titled “I Dreamed a Dream,” goes on sale on Nov. 23. Ms. Boyle sang the song by the same name on “Britain’s Got Talent,” and the video of her unexpectedly strong performance made her a world-wide phenomenon after it landed on video-sharing sites like YouTube.

United Might Break Guitars and the Funky Wedding Video Has Buzz, But Will It All Have a Susan Boyle Ending?

Kara Swisher in News on August 6, 2009 at 8:30 am PT

Oh, who doesn’t just love, love, love the two latest viral videos to hit the Web–“United Breaks Guitars” and the joyful wedding dance of Minnesotans Jill and Kevin? Combined, they have more than 20 million views on YouTube. While that’s all well and good, like a lot of these kinds of viral phenoms, neither is likely to make much money and become more than watercooler wonders.

Susan's Last Stand: Internet Phenom Boyle Comes in Second

Kara Swisher in News on June 1, 2009 at 12:13 am PT

The Scottish woman who went from unknown to become the Internet’s most watched video failed to win first place in the final of the television show, “Britain’s Got Talent” this past weekend. Boyle’s chances have been diminishing over the past week, since the British tabloids have been piling on and tarnishing her fairytale reputation, reporting on odd public outbursts by her due to the pressure of her instant stardom online and off.

Susan Boyle Sings Again: "Memory" and a Makeover

Kara Swisher in News on May 25, 2009 at 12:44 am PT

Here are the two answers to the key questions you might have about Susan Boyle’s return appearance on “Britain’s Got Talent” last night: Yes and yes. As in: Did the Scottish singing (and Web) sensation nail it again? And, does she look better? Of course, singing “Memory” from “Cats,” Boyle made it to the finals, which are set to take place next Saturday.

The Last Susan Boyle Post, I Promise–But It Turns Out She Can Cry a Digital River

Kara Swisher in News on April 20, 2009 at 2:00 pm PT

The Internet sensation that is Susan Boyle just keeps getting better. The Daily Record in Scotland uncovered a 10-year-old recording that the 47-year-old woman made for a charity CD. Singing the classic blues ballad, “Cry Me a River,” Boyle more than proves she has the range of the truly gifted artist (not to mention emotional depths that seem endless here) she displayed recently on a British television talent show, which has turned her into a viral Web celebrity.

Weekend Update, 4.19.09

Beth Callaghan in News on April 19, 2009 at 1:39 am PT

A look back at the week during which approximately 40 percent of the posts were about Twitter. Or at least it seemed that way. BoomTown got the ball rolling by making a visit to Twitter HQ bearing pies. During a video tour of the premises, Biz Stone discussed rock stars and booze, and spilled the secret of the strange green deer.

Boylemania, Part II: TV to Internet to TV to Internet…

Kara Swisher in News on April 17, 2009 at 6:00 am PT

Susan Boyle’s sensational television singing performance jumped from that medium to become a viral Internet hit, fueling more television that is, of course, headed to the Internet again. Who says old and new media can’t work together? The YouTube official version of the original TV performance is now at 15.6 million views.

Good Luck Trying to Share the Angelic Voice of Susan Boyle

Kara Swisher in News on April 16, 2009 at 4:00 am PT

Scottish singing sensation Susan Boyle is indeed all she is cracked up to be. But her virality on the Internet is not, even though she has–in fact–become an Internet sensation. Though the performance of the unemployed 47-year-old woman–dressed in a dowdy frock, wowing the judges on the television show, “Britain’s Got Talent” with an astonishing rendition of “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables”–has been viewed many millions of times now and growing, it’s not easy to move it around on the Web. It should be.

It's Time for a Dancing Dog Video!

Kara Swisher in News on January 7, 2009 at 2:30 am PT

Actually, it is always time for a dancing dog video. That’s especially true before boarding the Southwest Airlines bus to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today and, thankfully, leaving behind the Steve-Is-Dead meme (but did you know if you spin an iPod wheel backwards, you can hear…). But drudgery begone–bring on the cavorting canine!