NJ singer's song is now most watched video ever on YouTube

Most of us remember Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's hit "See You Again" as one of the most ubiquitous tunes of 2015.

But the rap-pop collaboration has reached a new milestone: the most viewed YouTube video of all time, racking up about 2.9 billion views. 

"See You Again," penned in part by Rumson-bred singer-songwriter Puth, swiped the YouTube record from Korean pop star Psy's ultra-viral "Gangnam Style," which held the top spot for five years. Before Psy, Justin Bieber's "Baby" was tops. 

Beyond YouTube "See You Again" -- the lead track for the "Furious 7" film -- was a massive commercial success, leading the Billboard Hot 100 chart for a whopping 12 weeks -- only 10 songs have gone longer.

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"I remember when I signed up for YouTube in 2007 and had hopes of uploading a video and it reaching 10,000 views," Puth said in a statement, according to CNN. 

The tune launched Puth, previously an unknown pop troubadour, onto the mainstream and paved the way for his future success with the radio-friendly singles "We Don't Talk Anymore" (reached No. 9 on Billboard) and his current hit "Attention," which sits at No. 15. 

Puth, 25, released his debut album "Nine Track Mind" in January 2016. 

Puth plays Prudential Center Aug. 17, opening for pop star Shawn Mendes. 

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier and Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.  

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