JUSTIN BIEBER smashed a Spotify record with his latest single, “What Do You Mean?” on Thursday.

    In the five-day period after the song’s release it was played on the streaming service more than 21 million times, besting the record previously held by One Direction’s latest “Drag Me Down.” The single also topped “Drag Me Down” as the fastest track in history to hit No. 1 on the iTunes singles chart.

    Much of its success could be attributed to its heavy promotion and substantial social media buzz. Ahead of the song’s release Aug. 28, Bieber enlisted some celebrity friends to help him with promotion of the single on Twitter and Instagram. The singer posted photos of 72 singers, actors and models counting down the days until the single’s release. Miley Cyrus, Ben Stiller, Britney Spears and Will Ferrell were among those who participated in the month-long project.

    Bieber dropped the song’s music video on the night that video of him breaking down in tears during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards was going viral. (SD-Agencies)