YouTube Rewind 2019: For the Record (also known simply as YouTube Rewind 2019) is a video that was uploaded to YouTube's official channel on the video-sharing website YouTube on December 5, 2019, as the tenth and final installment of the YouTube Rewind series. The video contains montages of the top videos and YouTubers of the year.
Although marked as an improvement over the previous installment, YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind, the video received negative reviews, with critics and the general audience finding the video uncreative in comparison to past Rewind videos.[1][2]
For the Record amassed over 3.1 million dislikes within 24 hours of release and 5 million dislikes within 48 hours of release, more than those acquired by Everyone Controls Rewind in the same timeframes. It currently has over 9.6 million dislikes, making it the sixth most-disliked video on YouTube. YouTube forwent producing a Rewind installment for 2020, and announced the series' discontinuation the following year.[3]
Overview
The video begins with a 'rewind' of 2019's most viewed/liked videos on YouTube. It then cuts to a scene from YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind where Casey Neistat and the Merrell Twins suggest K-pop as one of the themes for the rewind. Following this, it cuts to multiple YouTubers' reactions to this scene where it has been labelled as awkward and YouTube themselves stating that "In 2018, we made something you didn't like. So in 2019, let's see what you DID like. Because you're better at this than we are", with the words on screen. A compilation of trending YouTube videos from 2019 is shown, then cuts to the words on screen, saying "You made these the MOST LIKED CREATOR VIDEOS of 2019, duh...", in the form of a 'top 10' list, with a short snippet of each video playing at their appropriate times.
↑ The relevant statistic in this column is recorded as of the time of YouTube Rewind 2019's creation and upload.
The video then proceeds to show the "Most Liked Music Videos", again in the form of a 'top 10' list with a short snippet of each video playing at their appropriate times.
↑ The relevant statistic in this column is recorded as of the time of YouTube Rewind 2019's creation and upload.
The video then proceeds to show the "Most Liked Dance Videos" in the form of a 'top 5' list with a short snippet of each video playing at their appropriate times.
↑ The relevant statistic in this column is recorded as of the time of YouTube Rewind 2019's creation and upload.
The video cuts to another tape 'rewind' with the words on-screen: "You helped these New Creators Break Out", then proceeds to show YouTube channels with the most subscribers which first uploaded in 2019 in the form of a 'top 10' list with a short snippet of videos from each creator at their appropriate times.
↑ The relevant statistic in this column is recorded as of the time of YouTube Rewind 2019's creation and upload.
The video cuts to another tape rewind, with the words on-screen: "You made these the Most Watched Creators", then proceeds to show the most viewed creators of 2019 in the form of a 'top 10' list with short snippets of videos from each creator at their appropriate times.
↑ The relevant statistic in this column is recorded as of the time of YouTube Rewind 2019's creation and upload.
The video cuts to the words onscreen: "You liked, disliked, watched, subscribed, commented, shared, uploaded, played, listened, saved, created. Thank you for a record breaking 2019." It then proceeds to show multiple channels and their achievements in 2019 with appropriate videos.
↑ The relevant statistic in this column is recorded as of the time of YouTube Rewind 2019's creation and upload.
It then cuts to a short time-lapsed compilation of 2019's trending videos being 'sucked' into the middle. The video ends with a shot from Lil Dicky's music video of his song "Earth".
Production
The 2019 edition returned to a format more reminiscent of the 2010 and 2011 iterations of the series, featuring a montage of the top videos of 2019, divided into several themed countdowns based on statistics and trends.[4][5] Kevin Allocca, YouTube's head of culture and trends, explained that the video was intended to be more reflective of the year's trends, acknowledging that it was becoming more difficult for the previous format, which ran from 2012 to 2018, to "authentically represent" the community's overall experience.[6]
Cast
Below is a list of channels featured in the top lists in YouTube Rewind 2019, derived from the video's description:[7][8]
Despite being seen as an improvement over the previous year's Everyone Controls Rewind, For the Record received negative reviews, with many viewers disappointed that it did not have the same level of production as previous installments in the series, and noting it as being akin to WatchMojo videos.[10][11] Many also felt the new format lacked "ambition, energy and a soul", and that it showed that YouTube was being openly more corporate and uncaring towards their creators.[12][13][14][15] Others have also noted the omission of PewDiePie's "Congratulations" from the list of most liked music videos of the year, despite YouTube's listing standards which prevent geo-restricted content from being included in For the Record. Another PewDiePie-related criticism was how none of his accomplishments were included in the "YouTubers' Achievements in 2019" segment, yet it included T-Series (the first channel to hit 100 million subscribers, despite PewDiePie becoming the first creator to do so) and Enes Batur (a creator from Turkey who came under fire for copying PewDiePie, and abusing the copyright system against fellow creator JT after he called Batur out on said copying.)[16][17] Similarly to last year, some viewers criticized the video for its complete lack of tributes to YouTubers that had died before December, such as Desmond "Etika" Amofah.[18][19] However, viewers saw improvement with casting choices in some areas, particularly with the inclusion of PewDiePie, who was absent in the last two installments.[6][20]For the Record won the 2020 Webby Award for Entertainment in the category Web.[21]
Despite being included in the video, PewDiePie, along with FlyingKitty, Party In Backyard, Grandayy and Dolan Dark, created their take of it on December 29, 2019, titled "YouTube Rewind 2019, but it's actually good", which focused on the notable memes of 2019 and also paid homage to various recently deceased creators, including Dillon the Hacker, Etika and Grant Thompson.[22]
As of November10,2021[update], For the Record currently has over 117 million views and over 9.5 million dislikes, making it the sixth most-disliked YouTube video and the third most-disliked non-music YouTube video of all time after Everyone Controls Rewind and the trailer for Sadak 2. It was peaked as the third most-disliked video at the time before being surpassed by the Sadak 2 trailer within three days.
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