View source for Congratulations (Roomie, PewDiePie, and Boyinaband song)

{{short description|2019 single by Roomie, PewDiePie, and Boyinaband}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name          = Congratulations
| cover         = Congratulations PewDiePie Single.jpg
| border        = yes
| type          = single
| artist        = [[PewDiePie]], [[Joel Berghult|Roomie]] and [[David Brown (British musician)|Boyinaband]]
| released      = 31 March 2019
| recorded      = November 2018
| genre         = * [[Satirical hip hop]]
* [[synth-pop]]
* [[pop rap]]
| length        = 4:08
| label         = Roomie
| writer        = {{flatlist|
* [[David Brown (British musician)|David Brown]]
* [[Joel Berghult]]
* [[PewDiePie|Felix Kjellberg]]
}}
| producer      = {{flatlist|
* Apollo V
* {{nowrap|Joel Berghult {{small|({{Abbr|add.|Additional & vocal production}})}}}} }}
| chronology    = [[PewDiePie]]
| prev_title    = Rewind Time {{small|(with [[Party in Backyard]])}}
| prev_year     = 2018
| next_title    = Mine All Day {{small|(with Party in Backyard)}}
| next_year     = 2019
| misc          = {{Extra chronology
| artist     = [[Joel Berghult|Roomie]]
| type       = single
| prev_title = Own You
| prev_year  = 2018
| title      = Congratulations
| year       = 2019
| next_title = Roxanne/<br/>Roxanne
| next_year  = 2020
}}
{{Extra chronology
| artist     = [[David Brown (British musician)|Boyinaband]]
| type       = single
| prev_title = Life Is Fun {{small|(with [[TheOdd1sOut]])}}
| prev_year  = 2018
| title      = Congratulations
| year       = 2019
}}
{{External music video|{{YouTube|PHgc8Q6qTjc|"Congratulations"}}
}}
}}
"'''Congratulations'''" is a song by [[YouTuber|YouTubers]] [[PewDiePie]], [[Joel Berghult|Roomie]] and [[Boyinaband]].<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47042761 |title=PewDiePie concedes defeat to rival T-Series |date=1 April 2019 |work=BBC |access-date=1 October 2019}}</ref><ref name="USA TODAY">{{Cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2019/04/02/pewdiepie-back-top-biggest-youtube-channel-over-t-series/3339914002/ |title=PewDiePie back on top as largest YouTube channel over Indian music label T-Series |last=Tobin |first=Ben |work=USA TODAY |access-date=1 October 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Metro">{{Cite news |url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/04/02/pewdiepie-drops-scathing-congratulations-video-t-series-admitting-defeat-subscriber-battle-9091779/ |title=PewDiePie drops scathing Congratulations video for T-Series |date=2 April 2019 |work=Metro |access-date=1 October 2019 |language=en}}</ref> The single was self-released on 31 March 2019 with an accompanying music video on YouTube as a response to [[T-Series (company)|T-Series]] surpassing PewDiePie as [[List of most-subscribed YouTube channels|the most-subscribed YouTube channel]].<ref name="Polygon">{{Cite news |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/31/18275692/pewdiepie-tseries-feud-concession-diss-track |title=PewDiePie admits defeat to T-Series |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=31 March 2019 |work=Polygon |access-date=1 October 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Verge">{{Cite news |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/31/18289617/pewdiepie-tseries-congratulations-subscribe-youtube-diss-track-100-million |title=PewDiePie concedes to T-Series in battle for YouTube's biggest channel |last=Alexander |first=Julia |date=31 March 2019 |work=The Verge |access-date=1 October 2019 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/subgap/status/1112687071443980290 |title=CONGRATULATIONS! PEWDIEPIE IS BACK IN THE LEAD! THIS. IS. EPIC! |last=Alt |first=sloth_on_meth's |date=1 April 2019 |website=@subgap |language=en |access-date=1 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://theyoutubearchive.blogspot.com/2019/04/pewdiepie-vs-t-series-subscriber-data.html |title=TheYoutubeArchive: Pewdiepie vs T-Series: Subscriber data from 22 March 2019 until 1 April 2019 |date=1 April 2019 |website=TheYoutubeArchive |access-date=1 October 2019}}</ref> The music video is banned on YouTube in India. As of January 2025, the video on YouTube has over 237 million views, making it PewDiePie's second most-viewed video,<ref name="musicvid">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHgc8Q6qTjc |title=Congratulations |date=31 March 2019 |website=YouTube}}</ref> his most viewed being his previous T-Series [[Diss (music)|diss track]], "[[Bitch Lasagna]]".<ref name="bitchlasagna">{{Cite web |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=6Dh-RL__uN4 |title=bitch lasagna |date=8 September 2022 |website=YouTube}}</ref>
==Background==
{{Main|PewDiePie vs T-Series}}
In mid-2018, the subscriber count of the Indian music video channel T-Series rapidly approached that of Swedish web comedian and Let's Player [[PewDiePie]], who at the time was the most-subscribed YouTuber.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/31/t-series-could-soon-pass-pewdiepie-as-youtubes-biggest-channel.html |title=This Bollywood YouTube Channel Is on the Verge of Bumping 'PewDiePie' from His Top Spot |last=Huddleston Jr. |first=Tom |website=[[CNBC]] |date=31 August 2018 |publisher=[[NBC Universal]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831203455/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/31/t-series-could-soon-pass-pewdiepie-as-youtubes-biggest-channel.html |archive-date=31 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.sg/pewdiepie-could-lose-his-king-of-youtube-crown-to-a-channel-called-t-series/ |title=PewDiePie Could Lose His King of YouTube Crown to a Channel Called T-Series |last=Rakin |first=Ethan |website=[[Business Insider Singapore]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190308185426/https://www.businessinsider.sg/pewdiepie-could-lose-his-king-of-youtube-crown-to-a-channel-called-t-series/ |archive-date=8 March 2019 |access-date=17 November 2019 }}</ref> As a response, PewDiePie fans and other YouTubers had shown their support for PewDiePie, while T-Series fans and other YouTubers had shown support for T-Series, in the [[PewDiePie vs T-Series]] competition. During the competition, both channels had been gaining a large number of subscribers at a rapid rate. The two channels had surpassed each other in subscriber count on a number of occasions in February, March, and April 2019.<ref name="Trenholm">{{Cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/pewdiepie-dethroned-by-t-series-as-youtubes-most-subscribed-channel/ |title=PewDiePie Dethroned by T-Series as YouTube's Most Subscribed Channel |last1=Trenholm |first1=Richard |last2=Ryan |first2=Jackson |website=[[CNET]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312012640/https://www.cnet.com/news/pewdiepie-dethroned-by-t-series-as-youtubes-most-subscribed-channel/ |archive-date=12 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Hamilton">{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/pewdiepie-lost-youtube-crown-to-t-series-2019-3 |title=PewDiePie Briefly Lost His Crown as the Biggest YouTuber on the Planet |last=Hamilton |first=Isobel Asher |website=[[Business Insider]] |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190319041816/https://www.businessinsider.com/pewdiepie-lost-youtube-crown-to-t-series-2019-3 |archive-date=19 March 2019 |access-date=19 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="Spangler">{{Cite web |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/pewdiepie-tseries-youtube-most-subscribed-channel-1202980436/ |title=PewDiePie vs. T-Series: YouTube Channels Keep Battling for No. 1 Spot |last=Spangler |first=Todd |website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=20 March 2019 |publisher=Penske Business Media |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190320211125/https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/pewdiepie-tseries-youtube-most-subscribed-channel-1202980436/ |archive-date=20 March 2019}}</ref><ref name="bbc">{{Cite web |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47042761 |title=PewDiePie concedes defeat to YouTube rival T-Series |date=1 April 2019 |website=[[BBC]]}}</ref><ref name="musicvid"/><ref name="dexerto">{{Cite web |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/watch-pewdiepie-roast-t-series-epic-new-congratulations-diss-track-504410 |title=Watch PewDiePie roast T-Series with epic new 'Congratulations' diss track |last=Virginia Glaze |date=31 March 2019 |website=dexerto.com}}</ref>
==Composition and lyrics==
"Congratulations" is an upbeat-sounding [[synth-pop]]/[[Hip hop music|hip-hop]] [[diss track]] whose instrumentals are based on "Buckwild" by [[Taylor Caniff|2Virgins]]. In the music video, PewDiePie criticizes T-Series for achieving their early success by selling pirated songs and chairman [[Bhushan Kumar]] for alleged tax evasion (in reference to a ''[[The Times of India|Times of India]]'' article).{{cn|date=April 2021}} He also mocks T-Series for sending him a [[cease and desist]] letter alleging that his actions and lyrics of "[[Bitch Lasagna]]" were defamatory. He also mentioned the CEO of T-Series' [[tax evasion]] scandal, collusions with the [[Mumbai underworld|Mumbai mafia]], and [[Me Too movement|#MeToo]] allegations.<ref name="theverge"/>
The video also thanks his fans for sticking with him through his YouTube career, referencing past videos.<ref name="polygon">{{Cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/3/31/18275692/pewdiepie-tseries-feud-concession-diss-track |title=PewDiePie admits defeat to T-Series |last=Radulovic |first=Petrana |date=31 March 2019 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref><ref name="theverge">{{Cite web |url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/31/18289617/pewdiepie-tseries-congratulations-subscribe-youtube-diss-track-100-million |title=PewDiePie concedes to T-Series in battle for YouTube's biggest channel |last=Julia Alexander |date=31 March 2019 |website=[[The Verge]]}}</ref>
==Reception==
Eight days after it was released, "Congratulations" was banned in India, alongside PewDiePie's earlier diss track, "Bitch Lasagna". The [[Delhi High Court]] granted an injunction against the two songs at the request of T-Series, who asserted the tracks were "defamatory, disparaging, insulting, and offensive" and that the songs contained "repeated comments ... abusive, vulgar, and also racist in nature." In their decision, the court noted that PewDiePie, in communication with T-Series after the release of "Bitch Lasagna", had apologized after posting the first video and had "assured that he [was] not planning any more video[s] on the same line."<ref name="DissTracksBanned1">{{Cite web |url=https://www.medianama.com/2019/04/223-delhi-high-court-orders-youtube-to-remove-pewdiepie-diss-tracks-on-t-series/ |title=Delhi High Court orders YouTube to remove PewDiePie "diss tracks" on T-Series |last=Babele |first=Aryan |date=12 April 2019 |website=Medianama |access-date=13 November 2019}}</ref><ref name="DissTracksBanned2">{{Cite web |url=https://roguerocket.com/2019/04/15/pewdiepies-t-series-diss-tracks-banned-in-india/ |title=PewDiePie's T-Series Diss Tracks Banned in India |last=Stenn |first=Lili |date=15 April 2019 |website=Rogue Rocket |access-date=13 November 2019 |archive-date=9 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909003405/https://roguerocket.com/2019/04/15/pewdiepies-t-series-diss-tracks-banned-in-india/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="DissTracksBanned3">{{Cite web |url=https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/04/11/india-v-pewdiepie/ |title=India Clamps Down on PewDiePie Racism — High Court Orders YouTube to Remove Two Offensive Videos |last=Sanchz |first=Daniel |date=11 April 2019 |website=Digital Music News |access-date=21 November 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Delhi High Court |author-link=Delhi High Court |title=Super-Cassettes-vs-Pew-Die-Pi.pdf |url=http://iprmentlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Super-Cassettes-vs-Pew-Die-Pi.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130095059/https://iprmentlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Super-Cassettes-vs-Pew-Die-Pi.pdf |archive-date=2023-01-30 |access-date=2023-05-29 |website=Iprmentlaw}}</ref>
In August 2019, it was reported that T-Series and PewDiePie had settled their legal disputes outside of court.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/pewdiepie-and-t-series-settle-youtube-legal-dispute-2019-8 |title=PewDiePie and T-Series quietly settled a court battle over 'racist' diss tracks following their epic YouTube battle |last=Ghosh |first=Shona |date=13 August 2019 |website=[[Business Insider]] |access-date=21 November 2019}}</ref>
==Music video==
A music video for the song was released the same day. The video was previously recorded in November 2018 in anticipation of T-Series surpassing his subscriber count.<ref name="Boyinaband BTS">{{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E_1fspZQ4c |title=Making the song with PewDiePie (Congratulations BTS) |website=YouTube |publisher=Boyinaband |language=en |access-date=1 October 2019}}</ref> It shows PewDiePie, Roomie, and Boyinaband throwing a party inside a room adorned with party decorations, balloons, champagne, and a cake that imitates the T-Series logo. They sing and dance congratulating T-Series in a tongue-in-cheek manner. At the bridge of the song after the second verse, PewDiePie gives a "Thank You" to all his fans and subscribers for supporting his career and gives a "Brofist" to the camera, before the video cuts to the final chorus of the song with a scene showing PewDiePie, Roomie, and Boyinaband launching fireworks outside in the night. The video ends with [[MrBeast]] giving a slow clap to the song. MrBeast would go onto surpass T-Series as the most-subscribed YouTube channel in 2024, "avenging" Pewdiepie.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-02 |title=MrBeast Is Now The Most Subscribed YouTuber: 'Avenged Pewdiepie' |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-buzz/mrbeast-is-now-the-most-subscribed-youtuber-surpasses-t-series-article-110631244 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Times Now |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Congratulations |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHgc8Q6qTjc |language=en |access-date=2019-10-23}}</ref>
As of January 2025, the video on YouTube has over 237 million views, Pewdiepie's second-most-viewed video behind the previously-released "[[Bitch Lasagna]]".
==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (2019)
! scope="col"| Peak<br />position
|-
! scope="row"| New Zealand Hot Singles ([[Recorded Music NZ]])<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-singles/2019-04-12 |title=NZ Hot Singles Chart |date=April 15, 2019 |publisher=[[Recorded Music NZ]] |access-date=12 April 2019}}</ref>
| 27
|-
{{single chart|Scotland|77|date=20190405|rowheader=true|access-date=6 April 2019}}
|-
! scope="row"| Sweden Heatseeker ([[Sverigetopplistan]])<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2019&dspp=15 |title=Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 15 |publisher=[[Sverigetopplistan]] |access-date=April 13, 2019}}</ref>
| 8
|-
! scope="row"| US Comedy Digital Track Sales (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/comedy-digital-track-sales/2019-04-13|title=Comedy Digital Track Sales|last=|first=|date=|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191013180319/https://www.billboard.com/charts/comedy-digital-track-sales/2019-04-27|archive-date=October 13, 2019|access-date=November 17, 2019}}</ref>
| 1
|}
== See also ==
* {{slink|List of diss tracks#YouTube}}
* [[PewDiePie videography]]
== Notes ==
{{notelist}}
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{PewDiePie}}
{{authority control}}
[[Category:2019 YouTube videos]]
[[Category:2019 songs]]
[[Category:2019 singles]]
[[Category:Anti-Indian sentiment]]
[[Category:Diss tracks]]
[[Category:English-language Swedish songs]]
[[Category:Obscenity controversies in music]]
[[Category:Online obscenity controversies]]
[[Category:PewDiePie songs]]
[[Category:Race-related controversies in music]]
[[Category:T-Series (company)]]
[[Category:Synth-pop songs]]
[[Category:Comedy hip-hop songs]]
[[Category:Satirical songs]]