When you’re dedicated to music, sometimes you’ll go above and beyond to make sure your favorite artist gets the recognition they deserve. And while Lady Gaga has gotten a ton of praise for her work in A Star Is Born, some fans thought that her and Bradley Cooper’s song “Shallow” deserved a bit more of a boost.
Gaga and Cooper have been making headlines for plenty of reasons lately.
The two have been very close since the movie was in production. It’s hard to forget about their steamy performance of the song at the Oscars, but it made people wonder if any sort of “bad romance” actually happened between the two. However, it hasn’t been confirmed — and Cooper has been in a steady relationship with Irina Shayk since 2015.
But one thing Lady Gaga didn’t have is a #1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
That role was taken by Ariana Grande. Grande’s songs “7 Rings” and “thank u, next” have been hovering in the top spots for weeks. And while it didn’t hit #1 just yet, her song “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” is also in the Top 20.
So, what’s a Lady Gaga fan to do to raise some listens? Well, create an elaborate Starbucks hoax, that’s what!
I'm listening to #shallow by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper! @Starbucks
— Kaylee Gaga (@kayleedeangaga) March 1, 2019
Starbucks is celebrating Lady Gaga’s Oscar win with a promotion for a free drink of choice simply post a screenshot of yourself listening to “Shallow” with the hashtag, #SHALLOWBUCKS for a free drink of choice pic.twitter.com/xbBkm5DFlh
Gaga fans were told that by posting proof that they were streaming “Shallow,” they’d get a free voucher.
It’s kind of a win-win situation, especially since the song is so catchy.
Streaming “Shallow” now!
— USA must ratify UNCRC & ERA! 💯🙌❤️🇺🇸 (@UncrcU) March 1, 2019
Thanks, @Starbucks! #Shallowbucks #Shallow pic.twitter.com/bOJrnHpRc2
The fan even created a hashtag called — you guessed it — #Shallowbucks.
The promotion was stated to end on March 7th.
#SHALLOWBUCKS pic.twitter.com/HQNQ0FLMin
— ِ (@bl0odstainedboy) March 1, 2019
Even worse, some people actually doctored a voucher. That inspired even more people to participate.
OMG YALL THIS IS REAL YOU GOTTA TRY IT #SHALLOWBUCKS pic.twitter.com/mEx6lIvZfw
— Alejandro (@alejandro_herod) March 1, 2019
But, alas. It wasn’t the case. Starbucks admitted they created no such promotion.
The official Starbucks account admitted online that it was fake. Still, Gaga fans were relentless with making it spread.
Hi! Sorry for any confusion, but this is not a valid Starbucks offer. This post is completely false.
— Starbucks (@Starbucks) March 2, 2019
I guess every listen counts, right?
No matter what, it sounds like a frustrating day for Starbucks, especially when fans denied that this “promotion” was a fake.
It makes you wonder if some people confused baristas enough to get a free drink.
Otherwise, you’d think that when the company tries to set the record straight, the game is over.
So, who created this scam?
Buzzfeed News reports that it was an 18-year-old fan named Niko. In a direct message with Buzzfeed, he admitted everything.
“Yes omg I started it,” he reportedly said. “But if Starbucks asks I know NOTHING!”
Maybe he wasn’t sure how much it’d snowball.
.@ladygaga can I have a free meet and greet before I go off to prison
— nico 🍒 (@fkanico) March 2, 2019
“Within the first hour there were 2000 to 3000 tweets with the hashtag #SHALLOWBUCKS,” he said to Buzzfeed. “That’s when I realized a ton of people actually fell for it.”
Starbucks was reportedly looking for the culprit, so it’s interesting that Buzzfeed found him first.
Nico has over 4,000 followers on Twitter, many of them fellow Lady Gaga fans.
They’ve supported him the way anyone else would support an internet friend — by creating multiple GIFs of what his life is going to be like in prison.
But, it’s unclear as to what action Starbucks may take.
Perhaps a firm warning will be enough.
Because as teens, we’ve all done crazy things in the name of adoration, and while confusing, this scam didn’t necessarily hurt anyone.
shallow is going #1 because of nico
— kel 🫧 (@enigmakelz) March 1, 2019
If anything, it got more people on board with Cooper and Gaga’s huge hit. It’s a good song, and now you may very well be craving Starbucks every time you hear it.
I got #SHALLOWBUCKS trending 😭😭
— nico 🍒 (@fkanico) March 1, 2019
Even though you’re probably bummed that the promotion wasn’t real, Starbucks is always offering fun deals.
If you want to be legit, you should sign up to learn about their Happy Hours.
It's always a happy hour when you visit us.
— Starbucks (@Starbucks) February 23, 2019
When Happy Hour is announced, Starbucks offers amazing discounts on some of their most popular drinks.
And their baristas are always well-prepared for them, meaning you won’t get any strange looks if you ask about the discount.
Since it’s so easy to create a hoax, just make sure to keep checking the Starbucks social media accounts next time you see something that seems a little fishy.
In Starbucks we trust.
