International pop star Shakira has topped 100 million likes on Facebook, making her the most popular public figure on the social site, after a surge with her song “La La La” for this summer’s 2014 FIFA World Cup.
The milestone highlights the power of social media to amass huge audiences — and connect directly to fans instantly. Shakira posted a thank-you video on Facebook for her fans for the milestone, which had been liked more than 162,000 people within one hour.
On YouTube, the video for “La La La” — sponsored by Activia yogurt — has been viewed more than 236 million times.
“Social media and specifically Facebook has helped myself and other artists bridge the gap between the stage and the audience,” Shakira said in statement.
On Twitter, which has a smaller user base overall, Shakira has 26.1 million followers.
Shakira’s top 20 Facebook posts to date have resulted in 39.7 million likes; her most-liked post was a photo of her posing on the field before the World Cup final with more than 3.5 million likes in four days.
The 37-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter, who is signed to Epic Records, hit 50 million likes in May 2012. Shakira joined Facebook in 2008.
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