I'd say yes. In the bad old days, you only got to number 1 because of payola. Chances of an unsigned Korean artist getting there. 0. He for sure did not fit the boy band/pop star profile.
Now you can go from someone mostly unheard of to a global superstar outside of traditional channels. Now, if you are already someone signed on a big label and have a big name, then 8.1M may not be huge, especially for how popular it was.
>In the bad old days, you only got to number 1 because of payola.
What old days? Dick Clark days? Because thousands of acts have been to the number one in the 80's and 90's without payola, just emerging virally (either as one hit wonders, or as more established artists).
>Chances of an unsigned Korean artist getting there. 0.
That might be in the US. In the UK and Europe there were lots of cross-cultural hits from unexpected sources, including third world and different languages.
Heck, 8 million dollars is what a #1 single would cash in just in England back in the day.
Is this a lot of money for the most viewed video in the history of the Internet and the most popular song worldwide?