There is one thing you can rely on when the MTV’s Video Music Awards roll around this Sunday: parental outrage.
The winners are much tougher to guess.
But if VMA voters have tastes similar to the typical Spotify subscriber, then data from the music streamer could give insight into who will go home with the VMA hardware.
So The Post asked Spotify to predict the likely category winners based on its treasure trove of streaming data, which not only compiles the most streamed songs but also the most viral songs — a big predictor of future success.
And Spotify data point to a lot of winners from Australia, New Zealand and the UK, according to Shanon Cook, Spotify’s trendspotter.
Video of the year is likely to go to Pharrell Williams’ dance-a-thon “Happy,” which notched 210 million streams since its release. But Cook says Australian Sia’s hit, “Chandelier,” could provide an upset even with its comparatively small 64 million streams. Also in the category is “Drunk in Love” from Beyonce/Jay Z.
Spotify’s statistics suggest Williams might also nab, “Best Male Video,” but the most shared artist is the Taylor Swift pal and British singer, Ed Sheeran, with “Sing” on just 69 million streams, another of Spotify’s “most viral” songs.
In the “Best Female Video” category, a New Zealander or an Australian will win, if Spotify data are a predictor of success.
Lorde’s “Royals” video garnered 186 million streams — just topping Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse” with 184 million, a song that has also been nominated.
Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy” is the most viral tune, notching 107 million streams, and could have the momentum to snatch the award.
Spotify uses a formula to decipher shares and playlist adds to define most viral.
The VMAs are known for manufacturing outrageous moments, such as Miley Cyrus’ twerking Robin Thicke and Madonna tongue-kissing Britney Spears.