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The biggest social trends of 2022

From minimalism to the 5-9 routine, we take a look back at this year’s top trends

By Nana Akosua Frimpong

Friday, 23rd of December 2022

As 2022 comes to an end, THE FIFTH is looking back on some of the top trends that took over our social channels this year. 

We’ve seen more self-expression across platforms, the strength in online communities and have been endlessly inspired by the content being created. 

From shunning aspirational content with the rise of BeReal to creators reading the room and pivoting their content in response to the cost of living crisis, we wanted to give you a round up of some of the biggest trends we’ve seen take place on social:

Bobby Hobert

Minimalist and Maximalist Aesthetic 

This year, we saw creators such as Bobby Hobert show us the benefits of living a minimalist lifestyle. From decluttering and using only things that serve a purpose to de-stressing and putting your mental health first, we’ve loved watching and learning about ways in which we can all make small changes and adopt a more minimalist lifestyle. 

The Scandi-like fashion and lifestyle were adopted by many as we leaned into living a much slower, more attainable and sustainable lifestyle. Read our previous Trendsetters piece where we wrote about how Scandinavian style has become the fashion crowd’s most coveted aesthetic.

Like with anything on the internet, trends can often change and as we entered the colder months, we were introduced to the maximalist lifestyle. 

Maximalism involves embracing both quantity and quality. Layering and extravagance is a great way to express individuality and uniqueness and creator Sara Campz shows us exactly how to embrace being a maximalist. 

In the battle of minimalism and maximalism, which are you? 

Music and Dancing on TikTok 

TikTok keeps dominating the download charts and has become the platform in which up-and-coming artists are born. This year alone we saw Pink Pantheress soar through the charts after her discovery on TikTok. It has also become the platform for artists to preview their latest single and unexpectedly, it is now a tool for artists and music labels alike to discover new music. 

Just like the music we discover on the platform, TikTok has also become a discovery platform for dancers. Most of the time, when a song takes off on the platform, there is usually a dance challenge attached to it. 

We have seen the likes of Diversity’s Perri Keily create and take part in many dance challenges and his recent TikTok saw him dancing to a DJ remix of Coi Leroy’s latest single ‘Players’. We’ll have also seen the famous dancing duo Brooke and Jessie dominating our For You pages with their viral routines for songs such as Louis Theroux’s ‘jiggle jiggle’ or Meghan Trainor’s ‘Made you look’. Read more about Brooke and Jessie and the guide to getting your song TikTok viral in our Trendsetter piece

Twitch diversifies

Twitch as a platform is known for its live streaming services that are focused on video game live streaming and Esports competitions. This year, however, the app has seemingly grown and with that has been introduced to new audiences. 

Now, Twitch is no longer known as the gaming platform. Instead, it’s the platform where everyone and anyone can live stream their interests, whether it be cooking, baking and/or cultural commentary, you will find your audience on the growing platform. After all, ‘just chatting’ is one of the most popular categories on Twitch. 

Want to know more about how Twitch is diversifying, have a read on how French content creators used the platform to raise money for a great cause in a Trendsetters post here

Alicia Lartey

Clean and cold girl aesthetic 

From the clean girl aesthetic to the cold girl make-up look, this year we saw different beauty and fashion trends emerge as an ode to the early 2000s.

Many discussions have been had about the authenticity of some of the emerging trends, questioning their inclusivity and overall branding. Creator Alicia Lartey, for example, challenged the brown lip liner ‘trend’ on TikTok, taking to Refinery29 to write about why the ‘brownie glazed lip’ “doesn’t sit right with her”. 

Despite some controversies, there have been a few emerging trends that have encapsulated all. We saw #coastalgrandma gain over 269.6 million views, with creators such as Rachel Speed showing us how they style the trend.

Quiet Quitting vs 5-9 routine

This year, we were introduced to #quietquitting – a term encouraging people to renounce hustle culture and make more time for themselves. Many discussions were had to uncover the true meaning of the term and why it was so important amongst Gen Zers. Learn more on the topic in our Trendsetters piece

The topic of quiet quitting then birthed the 9-5 and 5-9 routine. With over 7 million views, we saw people sharing their post-work routine with the hashtag #my5to9. This trend looked to encourage people to take time for themselves after a long day’s work. On the surface, the trend is considered to be healthy as it promotes selfcare, however it also seems to be promoting hyperproductivity – encouraging you to be productive in your downtime. 

It is clear that Gen Zers are all looking to find ways to reclaim their power and encourage mental stability and despite some fall back, it is encouraging to see the future generation promoting mental health.

Cost of living crisis

The cost of living crisis has been a prevalent issue around the world this year and many discussions have been happening around influencer culture and their seemingly cash-rich lifestyles.

We have, however, also seen some creators pivot their content to be more in line with their audiences’ growing financial concerns. Creators have used their financial expertise to help their audience during this difficult time and, if you would like to see a more extensive list of creators sharing their best financial advice, head over to our Trendsetters piece highlighting creators using their platform for good in a time of need. 

The authentic app of the year: BeReal

BeReal was the surprise app of 2022. 

In the past, we’ve come across new apps looking to join the likes of TikTok and Instagram in ranking but every year a few fall short. In the peak of the pandemic, for example, we had Clubhouse and House Party – both created to keep us all engaged, entertained and connected. Sadly, we saw both apps fall through the cracks as we slowly returned to normality.

This year, with the conversation around Instagram changing and TikTok practically taking over our lives, we were introduced to BeReal. The app is about being in the moment and encourages users to be their real selves (read our Trendsetters post here). Many flocked to BeReal, making it a success and a clear competitor.

Cementing its status as a trend setter, in the last few months of 2022 we have seen TikTok introduce TikTok Now – a similar concept where users share a daily photo or video of themselves. Instagram is also introducing their own candid feature Dual which allows you to take a photo or video using both the front and back cameras simultaneously. 

As always, social media was anything but boring and this year we witnessed new and exciting trends taking place that encouraged more and more of us to get involved. As we look to 2023, we’re excited to see where trends go next – and we’ll be here to keep you updated and at the forefront every step of the way. 

Trendsetters: The rise of the Vox Pop

The street-style content taking over your FYP

By Nana Akosua Frimpong

Friday, 23rd of December 2022

A vox pop is a short video made up of clips taken from interviews with members of the public. The vox pop, which comes from Latin and translates to mean ‘voice of the people’, is often used to gather audience insights and opinions on any given subject – and will undoubtedly have been all over your For You page recently. With over 240 million views on TikTok and counting, the hashtag #voxpop has become one of the most popular trending content on the platform. 

A vox pop is known to be used in traditional journalism as a form of getting news from the ‘man on the street’, and can be used for numerous reasons such as testing public opinions, influencing decision-makers, stimulating public debates or promoting radio, TV or even newspapers. 

Creators such as Kofi McCalla have, however, demonstrated on their channel that vox pop or street-style interviews can be used purely for entertainment. In keeping with the style of content that is usually seen on TikTok, vox pops fit perfectly as they’re quick, engaging, occasionally educational but most importantly, entertaining.

Now, more and more creators are starting to adopt this style of content. It is becoming particularly popular within the lifestyle, beauty and fashion community. Creators like World Microphone Ldn travel all over the world asking people on the streets of London, Milan and even China about what they are wearing. 

‘What are you listening to?’ is one of the most popular forms of vox pop content, with creator Joshua Robinson aka Oshu Clips restyling the content to ask people on the streets: ‘what is your favourite song?’. 

Some brands have clearly seen the benefits of this short form interview style. A vox pop is an effective way of building brand awareness in an entertaining and informative manner, and allows brands to promote their product or service without having it feel like an #AD piece on the timeline. 

Branston is an excellent example of a brand utilising vox pop-style content to engage with its audience. They took their new product ‘brantonnaisse’ to the streets of Glasgow, London and Cardiff, asking people for their taste opinion. 

Burberry has even collaborated with creator Hunter Prosper on a series of content for the brand’s TikTok page. In a series called ‘Stories from a stranger’, Hunter interviews people on the streets, asking them life questions such as ‘who is your greatest love and why?’. The street style series has garnered an average of 3 million views on the brands’ page. 

Vox style, or better known as street interview, content is just as popular within the UK as it is within EMEA and across the pond in the US.

Parisian clothing store, Sézane, has been using vox-style content in the form of a challenge. They go around asking people on the streets of Paris, and most recently San Francisco, ‘Do you speak Sézane?’. After pronouncing a few easy French terms, participants receive ‘un cadeau’ (a gift).

Social creative agencies have also jumped on board the street style interview trend, with THE FIFTH taking to the office to interview colleagues.

Interestingly, creators are evolving the format of the vox pop, adding their own creative flair, and this is a trend that is likely to stay all through 2023. With different variations always forming, brands should utilise this trend by working with expert creators to maximise their brand awareness and engagement. 

Would you take part in a street style interview when stopped on the streets?

the guide to getting your song TikTok viral

Brooke and Jess are the not-so-secret duo behind new music success

By Laina Claydon

Friday, 9th of December 2022

We’ve all seen a TikTok dance go viral when a new song is released, but who creates them in the first place? 

More often than not, it’s the same duo behind a dance routine: Brooke and Jess aka BrookieandJessie

Wearing their trademark tracksuits and sunglasses, the pair have created many of the TikTok viral dances to your favourite songs. 

With 2 million followers on the short-form video platform, Brooke and Jess are the girls in glasses you need to know. 

Remember the ‘jiggle jiggle’ dance to the rap from Amelia Dimoldenberg’s Chicken Shop Date interview with Louis Theroux? That was them. It’s now been named the top US trend on TikTok’s fifth annual ‘Year on TikTok’ report for 2022.

Amelia even joined the girls to do the dance after it became a success. And if that’s not impressive enough for you, the dance became a feature on Fortnite. It also earned the girls a shoutout on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon when Shakira did the dance. 

The routine was created initially on Jess’ solo account before they set up their joint account and began making dance routines together.

Their success saw the duo employed by Netflix (and their 28.8M TikTok followers) to create a promotional dance video for season four of the sci-fi smash hit series Stranger Things and then First Kill.

More recently, Brooke and Jess danced to Meghan Trainor’s new single ‘Made You Look’. The video racked up more than 500K likes, and Meghan herself even made a video to the dance and tagged the pair with dance credits in the caption. The video has 3.7M likes.

When Lewis Capaldi made his music comeback earlier this year with ‘Forget You’, Brooke and Jess also helped the song grow on TikTok. The singer later joined them for a video but struggled to keep up with the dance routine and simply bopped along in the background. 

Their choreography took the platform by storm again when they danced to Lizzo’s song ‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)’. The girls posted some of the stars who recreated their dance to their Instagram page, and names included Lizzo herself, Dani Minogue, Jojo Siwa, Lorraine Kelly, and Stephen Mulhern.

But how did they start out?

“We were just messing around in our lounge”, the pair told Echo News. “I was making pasta at the time and Jess played the Jiggle Jiggle song and it was so catchy that we were bopping around to it. 

“We didn’t plan on dressing up or anything, so we put the glasses with the hoodies on, because we didn’t want to make an effort, and that seems to be our brand now”.

Brooke and Jess are both professional performers in musical theatre, have been in pantos, and are graduates of the Laine Theatre Arts in Epsom, Surrey.

And it’s not just TikTok that they’re big on, the duo also have an Instagram account, YouTube channel, and their very own merch line where they now sell the hoodies they are always wearing in their videos.

Another creator who has been influential in the TikTok dance world is Nifè aka @itsjustnifee who created the Love Nwantiti dance. 

Love Nwantiti is a song by Nigerian singer and songwriter CKay. 

Nifè’s sound to her original dance has racked up 642.3K videos being made to it and the video has 1.8 million likes. As a thank you to Nifè, CKay then brought the TikToker on tour with him. 

That’s not all she’s done. Nifè also choreographed the dance to Antigoni’s ‘You Can Have Him’ and was later featured in the music video.

TheLady aka @4ladycapri also made a viral dance to Camidoh, Mayorkun & Darkoo feat. King Promise’s Sugarcane and was later brought out on stage at Ghana Party In The Park which took place at Trent Park in Enfield. 

These are just a few examples of the amazing ways in which musicians give credit to the choreographers and creators who had a huge impact on a song’s success.

There are some artists, however, who are accused of creating a song or specific lyric just to go viral, as it usually results in high charting and more sales. 

Taylor Swift did it well when she released her latest album ‘Midnights’ and created the  #antiherochallenge to promote the leading single. 

Initially on YouTube Shorts, the trend was quickly picked up on TikTok which is commonplace when  something goes viral on one platform for it to quickly pick up traction on another. It’s since racked up 34.4M views on TikTok and ‘Anti Hero’ has been at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks running – so it’s safe to say this was a success.

The beauty of TikTok (and the randomness of its algorithm) means it’s not just new songs that trend. An old song can pop up and trend at any time and even Meghan Trainor herself couldn’t explain why her 2016 song ‘NO’ started trending recently, but she went with it! 

TikTok dances are no new thing and have been around since the app first launched, but it’s exciting to see the new and innovative ways in which artists and creators are collaborating – and that artists are making sure to give credit to those who coined the dance routine which helped make their song a success.

The live stream event Raising Millions for Charity

Z Event 2022 raised over €10 million

By Nana Akosua Frimpong

Friday, 14th of October 2022

Z Event is a gaming charity project organised every year since 2016 by well-known gaming creators Adrien Nougaret and Alexandre Dachary. Named after his online pseudonym ZeratoR, Adrien alongside Alexandre organises the annual Twitch event to bring together French streamers and players whilst raising money for charity. 

Streaming events are well-known and popular everywhere but what makes Z Event special is the unique format. The event takes place face-to-face with personalities invited by the pair and the public tune in remotely, watching live on Twitch via the player’s channels. The three-day marathon welcomes all types of streamers from around the world to participate in hilarious challenges, mentor new streamers and produce worthwhile content with the ultimate goal of connecting with each other and raising money.

Adrien and Alexandre, aka ZeratoR and Dach, unexpectedly started the Z Event in Adrien’s living room back in 2016 when they invited fifteen streamer friends over to join Belgian player Athene’s humanitarian battle call to raise funds in aid of Ethiopia’s famine crisis. That year, they raised 170,000. 

The success of the first unofficial event prompted Adrien and Alexandre to improvise and organise another the year after. The team grew to include well-known influencers in gaming such as Doigby, Mister MV and Sardoche, and they raised 500,000 for the French Red Cross.

Since the first unexpected and unpretentious event, Z Event has grown and consistently broken its previous donation record. In 2021, for example, they raised a whopping €10 million for Action Against Hunger.

With the help of 57 gaming personalities and over 50 hours of streaming, this year’s Z Event in September raised donations across five charity organisations – Time for the Planet, Sea Shepherd, The Bird Protection, WWF and the Sea Cleaners.

It started with a fun-filled musical concert featuring musical ensemble French Fuse, beatboxing crew Berywam, rapper Soprano and many more. The opening night also saw participants share their donation goal cards all across Twitter using the hashtag #ZEvent2022.

Streamers use donation goal cards to set challenges to complete when a donation goal is reached. This is tracked on the participants’ Twitch channel as they stream online. Viewers are then able to see when a goal is reached and watch the streamer complete their challenge. 

Streamer Ceb set a goal of coaching a viewer live on his channel when he reached a donation goal of $7,500, whilst another streamer pledged to send a picture of Lionel Messi to Cristiano Ronaldo Jr on Instagram when his donation goal reached €1,000,000.

Each participant created their own donation goal making it entertaining for viewers everywhere. 

Z Event is also known to attract well-known celebrities. On the second day of this year’s event, French streamer Etoiles invited TV host, actor and director Alain Chabat to host Z Event’s quiz game “Questions for the streamers: Burger Edition”.

Over the three-day action-packed marathon event, viewers tuned in to watch their favourite streamers’ Twitch channels, donate and join in on the fun. This year, Z Event raised €10.1 million with a massive upsurge in viewership. 

Every year, fans of the event look forward to joining the event, and it goes without saying that Z Event has become a staple in the French Twitch gaming community.

The event has not just become a big opportunity for streamers to grow their platform but to connect with their fans by showing their real and personable side – and fans can be active participants. 

Twitch is a platform that enables communities and Adrien and Alexandre have taken the opportunity to not only shed light on world issues through charitable donations, but to also grow a community where people can reach out and learn from their mentors. 

It has become evident that streamers love to challenge themselves and others and so we are likely to see more creator-led streaming events in the future. 

Will you be tuning into the next Twitch live stream or, like Z Event fans, are you eagerly awaiting the 2023 event that is sure to be even bigger and better than the last one? 

Check out the best of #ZEvent2022 on YouTube.

What is Quiet Quitting and will it last?

The latest trend to take over the workplace

By Bella Hales

Friday, 7th of October 2022

Quiet Quitting is the latest buzzword to emerge on TikTok in the past few months, exploding in America and quickly taking over Europe. Contrary to what it sounds like, it isn’t about quitting at all. Instead, it represents a rising trend where employees are actively embracing the traditional concept of ‘work-to-rule’ – but this time, as more of an antidote to relentless work expectations, long hours and post pandemic fatigue. Quiet Quitting builds on the emergence of a culture which embraces the work/life balance. 

The term was coined by American TikToker, Zaid Khan aka @Zaidleppelin, who posted a video in July 2022 after his job as a software engineer became all encompassing. In his post on TikTok, he encouraged people to renounce hustle culture and quit “the idea of going above and beyond”, arguing that you as an individual are worth more than just your labour and that “work is not your life”.

In a recent interview, he summarised the reasoning behind the movement, stating that “overworking only gets you so far. And like a lot of us have experienced in the past few years, mental and physical health really takes a backseat to productivity in a lot of these corporate environments.” This idea sure hit home, with his social media post being viewed by 3.5 million people.

It is no coincidence that this trend comes with the influx of Gen Z’s joining the corporate world. In a survey carried out by ResumeBuilder.com, 30% of people between the ages 25 and 34 said that within their workplace, they are doing the bare minimum, which is in stark contrast to 8% of workers who are over 54 years of age. This indicates that the younger generation are more inclined to take a step back and remove themselves from certain responsibilities.  

It is also clear that the pandemic has changed people’s attitude towards work. An associate professor at the University of Nottingham, Maria Kordowicz, told the Guardian that the rise in Quiet Quitting is linked to a noticeable fall in job satisfaction. She stated “the search for meaning has become far more apparent. There was a sense of our own mortality during the pandemic, something quite existential around people thinking ‘What should work mean for me? How can I do a role that’s more aligned to my values?”.

This heightened sense of self and ability to challenge previously accepted norms is part of the work revolution, where there is a growing confidence that it is good to look after yourself and work life balance is healthy. Quiet Quitting normalises this mindset; it’s not aggressive, but is a clear antithesis to the ‘work every hour you can’ ethos.

But this idea of covert action is not necessarily healthy – both for employees or employers. Stepping aside from certain responsibilities without conversation can create an atmosphere of distrust and secrecy. It would be far more beneficial for employees to be able to have an open dialogue with their employers so that they can create a better working environment and there be greater opportunities for change.

Crucially and undeniably, the role a job plays in our lives has shifted. It means the ways in which we are working – and where we are working from – are changing. And though the pandemic might have been the catalyst for the Great Resignation and Quiet Quitting, this isn’t something that started with the COVID crisis. These feelings of dissatisfaction in the workplace were there already, the pandemic simply acted as an accelerant. Now, employees are prioritising workplaces that cater more to their needs and offer a better work/life balance. Instead, things like flexible hybrid working, ensuring you take lunch breaks and frank discussions about burnout and mental health are seen as the tent poles to a good working environment – and that’s definitely a good thing and one we encourage.

Social media has allowed employees to take matters into their own hands, but with the cost of living and major recession, these trends may well be slowed down – and the quiet confidence that allowed employees to Quiet Quit could be halted altogether.

Trendsetters: Scandinavian Fashion

Where Sustainability meets Style

By Milan Charles

Friday, 30th of September 2022

Scandinavian style has become the fashion crowd’s most coveted aesthetic. With brands like Arket and Ganni growing in popularity, the Scandinavian look breaks away from the glitz and glamour of fast fashion and leans into a slower, more attainable, and most importantly sustainable lifestyle.

This is nothing new. Scandinavian lifestyle trends have been all the rage for years, and if you’ve been scrolling through Instagram, you’ll see many are doing their best to replicate them in their wardrobes and homes. 

Capturing the unique characteristics that Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Iceland have in common, the Scandinavian style is about far more than just aesthetics. It’s a philosophy encompassing art, furniture and interior design, mindset, attitude, lifestyle and cultural norms. 

Looking to adopt the Scandinavian style yourself? Here, we share some guidelines for you to live by:

Sustainable and Ethical Fashion Choices

Scandi fashion goes beyond aesthetics to promote sustainable and ethical living by removing what’s not necessary and focusing on what’s left – as well as higher quality and longer-lasting items. Finnish fashionista, Sandra Emeliah, adds her own personal touch to Scandinavian fashion by finding staple items second-hand and championing slow fashion.

Everything Must Go With Everything

The idea behind the Scandi style is that everything must go with everything. You can play with textures, but mainly within a neutral colour palette. Characterised by functionality and minimalism, Nordic clothing mixes high-quality solid fabrics with sleek accessories and elegant details creating a look that is both casual and stylish at the same time. Check out Phalguni, from Sweden, for ultimate neutral fashion inspo.

Comfort First

The Scandinavian design aims to improve people’s lives under the modernist mantra “form follows function”. To achieve the ultimate state of cosiness, most Scandinavian clothing breaks the confinements of form-fitting shapes. In Copenhagen, Maria Jonsson marries style and comfort perfectly – often spotted in airy fabrics and loose-fitting silhouettes, her wardrobe embodies this mantra. 

Building a Capsule Collection – Items that are High Quality and Long-lasting

The typical Nordic wardrobe is not about what’s trendy and completely about what’s timeless with simple and classic clean-cut lines. For instance, you’ll rarely see Scandinavians wear T-shirts with flashy logos or extreme embellishments. Instead, the style opts for long-lasting items, basics and tailored pieces that you can repurpose throughout the seasons for many years to come. Swedish content creator and healthcare worker Lydia Tsegay has been building her Scandi-inspired capsule collection over the years. Her ethos is “personal style, not fashion” truly embodies the Scandi way.

Genderless Clothing 

The Scandinavian fashion industry challenges gender stereotypes, with many brands opting for a more fluid approach to style. Nordic countries have maybe the most inclusive cultures, with the dress code being one of the many ways in which they demonstrate this to the world. The Scandi street style tends to feature androgynous silhouettes or outfits consisting of both masculine and feminine items. William from Norway and Emelie from Sweden could most likely share a wardrobe, leaning heavily into genderless street style with a heavy Scandinavian influence. 

So, what do you think – could you adopt a Scandinavian wardrobe? If you’re still in need of a little inspiration, check out these content creators:

Nicole, Stockholm

Anna Sofia, Stockholm

Elin Wahlberg, Sweden 

Greta Urban, Sweden

Selina, Denmark

Austeja, Norway 

Dina Hansen, Norway

Shuffles: Pinterest’s worst kept secret

The new collage-making app that is already trending everywhere

By Laina Claydon

Friday, 16th of September 2022

Shuffles by Pinterest is a new app designed for collective collaging. You can ‘unleash your creative energy’ and build your own aesthetic scrapbook-esque mood board using photos from Pinterest’s library or photos you’ve taken yourself.

Soon after it was released, Shuffles managed to have its own trend on TikTok, where these “aestheticcollages were then set to music and posted. This helped create a buzz around the app and is also where a lot of people found out it wasn’t as easy as just popping into the AppStore to download it. 

Interestingly, Pinterest decided to go down the ‘invite only’ route with Shuffles. If you’re lucky enough to receive a code from somebody who already has the app then you can download it and share a code with five others. If they’re too late and your five exclusive codes have already been used up, they’ll receive a ‘we’ve reached the limit for this invite code’ message.

Understandably, this exclusivity tactic has led to more of a buzz around the app and created FOMO for those that can’t get a code. When something seems limited, time-sensitive or exclusive, it only makes you want it more, however this strategy doesn’t always work. Clubhouse, for example, launched with a similar technique but hasn’t been able to sustain its popularity since. It does, though, give Shuffles more time to fix any bugs that emerge and make changes to the app before it’s available to the masses. Pinterest was originally released in this format back in 2012, and there are already TikTok accounts dedicated to Shuffles such as @pinterestshuffles_ and @pinterestshuffles.x whose only posts include giving out codes for others to get on the app. It’s like a secret club!

Admittedly, this is an interesting marketing strategy from Pinterest. Last year they introduced an in-house team, called TwoTwenty, whose sole focus is to grow the user base through innovation, and they are the same people who released this app. It’s safe to say that this was a success as Shuffles has already spent time as the No.1 Lifestyle app in the US App Store. There are even videos on TikTok showing users how to create their very own Shuffles and people sharing their love of the app

On Shuffles, users can choose to add effects and motion to the images to make them shake, spin, pulse, swivel and more. You could, for instance, add an image of a record player and then animate it so that it actually spins. Other cool features include being able to ‘reshuffle’ someone else’s Shuffles, meaning you can take another user’s design and customise it to make it your own.

Like with any other trend or creation, once something is popular on one platform, it then spreads across others in similar forms. We aren’t, for example, just seeing this collage content on Shuffles anymore. TikTok users are already jumping on it and calling it the ‘collage trend’, and people are using apps such as Canva, Capcut, and Magic Eraser to create that similar ‘cut-out’ style and put it to music on the platform.

Shuffles is also very similar to a new iOS 16 feature from Apple. Here, you can effortlessly crop an object from one of your photos and then paste that cutout anywhere you choose – like in an iMessage chat. You only need to touch and hold to lift the image away from the background. Cool, right? This style of content is also becoming more common on Instagram ‘Reels’.

Even since beginning writing this article, Tiktok has now created a filter to give a very similar ‘cut-out’ effect which feels eerily familiar.

Shuffles is targeting a younger demographic that’s using social media in a new way: for self-expression, not just networking. Why the app is resonating with Gen Z seems to be a combination of the technology it uses to simplify collage-making, coincided with the desire for creative expression tools that serve that demographics’ social habits.

The app also opens up new social commerce opportunities. The objects in users’ collages, for example, are linked to Pinterest and a tap will bring you to a dedicated page for the item in question. In the case of items that are available for purchase — like fall fashion or home decor, for instance — users could also buy the item by clicking through to the retailer’s website.

Shuffles has provided users with a great way to get creative and people are using this app for a variety of reasons, from creating their dream outfit to their dream home. It might even be the new platform to create memes such as this beauty. And despite its soft launch, Shuffles is currently placed number 21 in the lifestyle section of the UK AppStore. Will it fall out of popularity, or will it continue to rise as more users are allowed access to the platform? Only time will tell.

NEW GENERATION OF MUSIC  SAMPLING

modern day tribute to our favourite guilty pleasures

By Nana Akosua Frimpong

Monday, 12th of September 2022

TikTok has proven itself as the go-to place for discovering new music. We have seen songs that trend on the app go on to top the Billboard charts, and it’s become evident that TikTok has been at the forefront of generating new trends – as well as reintroducing old ones. With the app’s continuous push of music from challenges to TikTok-specific sounds, there has been a surge in old songs being sampled on new tracks. 

Music sampling is nothing new. The concept first originated in the early 70s and is a technique popularised in hip hop which saw up-and-coming producers take a section of a completed or uncompleted track and repurpose it to make it fresh. 

Over the years, more and more producers have learned to splice and reuse old tracks to create their musical pieces. Some have even perfected the art by adding their unique signature to blend and piece different tracks together. Kanye West is a great example of a producer who puts his signature on the art of sampling.

In our current digital age, with computer-based workflow used in creating music, the ethics of sampling and fair use is a topic that is greatly debated even before the involvement of technology. But as we have heard from popular artists such as Doja Cat, Drake and many more, musicians are much more lenient towards sampling usage now than when it first came about.

Currently, UK artists have a bit of an obsession with sampling 00s pop songs. In recent months, we’ve heard homegrown rappers jump on beats that lift heavily from old-school garage songs to Eurodance hits. Brighton-born new age rap artist Ardee, featuring Digga D, leaned on rapping over a heavy sample of T2’s bassline classic Heartbroken, and Tion Wayne’s drill version of La Roux’s ‘In For The Kill’ saw him chart in the UK Top 10. 

Turn of the century hip hop and Rnb are also fair game, as Digga D’s latest mixtape pays homage to 50 Cent with three reworks of his tracks. 

Based on the definition of sample music, some of these samples may not adequately fit the term. Many can be categorised as a cover version rather than a meticulous and creative music production. Irrespective of this, the UK sampling trend has escalated to the point that it is being credited as a sub-genre called ‘sample drill’.

The trend is indicative of fans’ interest. The nostalgic-yet-modern sound has meant new audiences have been introduced to old sounds. The trend of sample music banks on the cultural mainstay of guilty pleasures with some new music becoming a guilty pleasure of their own. 

TikTok creators such as Jarred Jermaine and Doc Boj are an example of people who not only educate their followers on new singles with sample tracks but also cherish the guilty pleasure aspect of them. Creator Lua Lua has a YouTube channel dedicated to reviewing music – including reviews on sample music. 

Sampling has grown and developed since its inception and with the help of the internet, it has streamlined the process making it more accessible as an educational tool for artists and music fans. While some sample music can be used in poor taste or isn’t utilised to the best of its ability, it has always been about paying homage to the artist and producers. 

With ‘sample drill’ being indicative of the new era of sampling, it’s also about the nostalgic memory of being a teen in the 2000s and going to dance raves, updating your MySpace account and pairing up your Bluetooth on your Sony Ericsson to be able to share the latest single streamed late at night on LimeWire.

With all that being said, all trends have an expiry date but the more intriguing question is: what guilty pleasure song from the 2000s wouldn’t you mind being sampled and which artist would you want to see jump on the track?

How authentic is bereal, really?

the ‘anti-instagram’ photo-sharing app everybody is talking about

By Bella Hales

Friday, 26 of August 2022

Recently, it appears Instagram’s day of being ahead of the curve has approached its end. Celebrities like the Jenner/Kardashian clan have become increasingly publicly disinterested with the app as a result of its TikTok-esque changes, and it seems that social media has been calling for something innovative and fresh to change things up for a while.

BeReal, a photo-sharing app that has now famously been dubbed ‘anti-Instagram’, was created by French founders Alexis Barreyat and Kévin Perreau and designed to encourage users to be their real selves.

Want to know how it works?

Once a day at any given time, users receive a ‘warning’ notification indicating that it is ‘time to BeReal’. A 2-minute window is then offered to take your photo, using both your rear and front camera. Once you’ve shared your snap-of-the-day, you are then allowed access to your newsfeed, displaying everything your friends are doing in that same timeframe. Users can add captions and interact with friends’ posts through comments and RealMojis (emojis in the form of a selfie). Your feed only updates itself once a day, with all uploads expiring when the next notification is sent out, and only you are allowed to look at your past posts – which is very resemblant of the ephemeral nature of Snapchat. 

The restraints of only being able to post once a day poses us with less reason to aimlessly scroll; you only need to check the app once or twice a day to stay updated which is undoubtedly a lot less time that avid social media users spend on the likes of Instagram and TikTok. Importantly, BeReal provides no filters, means of editing and notably, you cannot track metrics like followers and likes, thus removing the widely criticised social performance pressures that Instagram has been accused of catalysing. 

With this philosophy in mind, it is clear that BeReal has made a great attempt at filling the void between social media and authentic reality. 

But how authentic is it?

@bee.austin matty healy didnt kniw what a bereal was #mattyhealy #the1975 ♬ pass the dutchie sped up - vevonix

Whilst BeReal does provide guidelines on how to best utilise the app, these are very malleable. Despite the two-minute time frame, you can still post any time after the notification, with the only consequence being that your friends get a notification to say you posted late. As a result, users are able to wait until they are looking their best, or doing something they feel is more ‘fun’ or showcase worthy to their friends. Ultimately, this fluidity of the app’s rules, defeats its own mission to shun social performativity.

The emphasis on only being able to take unfiltered and untouched images of oneself is certainly one of the most true features to the app’s core vision, but it does come into paradox with itself when highlighting the fact that users can take unlimited retakes of their photos. Surely this encourages the same rose-tinted reality posed online that Instagram does?

Undoubtedly, BeReal has set a new precedent – a unique, new way of online photo-sharing. But as they have blurred their values with those of the more traditional apps, so have their users. BeReal snaps are now also making their way onto the mainstream channels, in an attempt from creators to cement their social status, centre-staging aspects of their ‘mundane’ livelihoods. 

Examples of this can be seen on influencer and celebrity channels including the likes of Chloe Frater and Tyler the Creator. These are just two of the famous figures including BeReals in their photo-dumps. Mashable’s Elena Cavender has seemingly rightedly coined that BeReals are the new selfie”. In her eyes, this makes the app “now just another way to commodify your life.” 

It’s not only Instagram that’s had BeReal creep into its feed, multiple TikTok users’ for-you-pages have been bombarded with young girls attempting to get celebrities to feature in their snaps, such as Bee Austin, posting her BeReal with the 1975’s Matt Healy which has garnered 546k views to date.

Despite the numerous arguments to be made against the platform, its fundamentals are in the right place and it is clear that the principle is founded upon good intention. Nonetheless, it has not yet achieved the ultimate goal of online authenticity and is still offering a social platform with the means to contrast and compare with peers. 

My takeaway from this: do I think that BeReal has been a positive force in social media? Yes (regardless of the ‘buts’). Will I keep using it? Absolutely.

Clean Beauty Aesthetic

the lifestyle trend that has over 300 million views on tiktok

By Nana Frimpong

Wednesday, 10th of August 2022

#CleanGirlAesthetic is the latest lifestyle trend taking over TikTok, with over 300 million views. #CleanMakeup even has 400million views on the platform. 

Both hashtags showcase natural or minimal makeup looks that creators like Tasha Green are known for and according to creators like Geena Hunt, to achieve the ‘clean girl’ look you only need tinted moisturiser, light concealer, eyebrow pomade, lip balm, tints and oils. It sounds simple and achievable, but is it?

As you scroll through the hashtag, you’ll notice that #CleanGirlAesthetic is not just about makeup – it covers all things lifestyle and having the perfect organised life. You may also notice one common anomaly under #CleanMakeup and that is that most, if not all, of the advocates of this beauty trend seem to have poreless, clear skin. 

Like with any trend, there is always the question of appropriateness and inclusivity. With the premise of the #CleanGirlAesthetic being about slicked-back hair, minimal makeup over glossy, buttery skin and gold hoop earrings, some creators have questioned how the trend caters to those with acne and hyperpigmentation.

Others have even come forward to critique the choice of wording. On first look, the term “Clean Girl” alone represents those with clear glossy skin and perfectly placed hair, suggesting that those with blemishes, texturised skin and untamed hair are ‘dirty’. Creators such as Uche Natori went as far as to tweet that the beauty trend is ‘anti-black’ as Black girls need “coverage and structure”.

TikTok creator Katouche Goll explained further that the “clean girl look relies on prerequisite terms of how you are supposed to look”, which vilifies those who fail to meet those terms. It further asserts that people who don’t fall into this westernised beauty standard are not worthy of being celebrated. 

Beauty influencers like Rikki Sandhu and Izzie Rodgers, however, are championing and reimagining the so-called ‘clean girl make-up’ and ‘clean girl’ aesthetic. 

And it is worth celebrating those taking the trend in the right direction. 

Creators I am Dodo and Neenz have also taken the opportunity to adapt the trend to fit their own aesthetical needs with the creation of #cleangirlaestheticblackgirl and #cleanmakeupforblackgirls. These hashtags were created to allow accessibility for Black creators to join a popular trend – and therefore show that it can be inclusive too.

Taking into consideration what it takes to achieve the ‘clean girl’ look – with everything from facials, brow tints, lash lifts and more to good lighting and filters – it begs the question: do you have perfect skin or did you buy it?

We often need to remind ourselves that some of the beauty videos and pictures we come across on social media have a cleverly-used lighting trick, a natural-looking pre-set filter or in some cases permanently purchased tweaks.

With more and more people embracing no-makeup and wellness trends, it has therefore been exciting to see people embracing their authentic selves. And with the rise of BeReal encouraging no-filter photos, it’s intriguing to see how it may change our view on beauty standards in the future. 

Gen Z audiences prefer authenticity over everything and have found a home on TikTok where they can truly be themselves. On the app, there is everything from the #CleanGirlAesthetic to relatable and accessible beauty content. And they both live side-by-side in a way that doesn’t seem to exist on other platforms. 

By embracing TikTok, Gen Z has made the platform their very own news and trends source, which makes it even more exciting to keep up with the next beauty trend that emerges on there. What do you think it will be?

Trendsetters

BINLEY MEGA CHIPPY

How A Local Chippy Turned Into A Viral TikTok Sensation

By Laina Claydon

Wednesday, 1st of June 2022

If you have TikTok you’ve probably heard of Binley Mega Chippy. The fish and chip shop in Coventry has blown up on TikTok (currently at over 200m views) and even has its own trending song.

A series of videos and memes based around Binley Mega Chippy started popping up on everyone’s FYP, and now there are queues of people eager to try the ‘Morbius Meal’. It has been quoted to have a ‘festival atmosphere’ as there is such a buzz surrounding the shop; sounds like a pretty great experience to go and collect your takeaway, right?

Who doesn’t love the British sense of humour? Surely no other country would make a random suburban chip shop a viral sensation.

While the randomness is what makes it funny, is there something else going on underneath the surface? 

It can be tricky to understand the origins of a viral trend on TikTok, when there’s so much related content and chronologically ranking isn’t an option (except on a profile page). However, with the Binley Mega Chippy trend playing out in real time we are able to unpick it.

@craigskebabhouse (currently 2k followers) started posting videos on the 20th April. Heavily leaning into the lo-fi aesthetic of the platform, it is essentially a budget slideshow of budget UK food and drink items like Rustlers burgers and K Cider. The audio on these posts is a mix of drum’n’bass and happy hardcore, appealing to an audience who like to celebrate the irony of budget British things.

One of these posts on 26th April was a slideshow of chip shops and kebab outlets including ‘Jason Donervan’ (genius), ‘Phil’s Yer Tum Fish & Chips’ and, of course, ‘Binley Mega Chippy’.

From here, on 18th May, an account called @binleymegachippyfan53 (currently 8k followers) started an appreciation account of BMC, with each video consciously utilising viral sounds, referencing Stella Artois, Anime and also tapping into macro mainstream British news – with references to Prince Philip (341k views). Combined with the Queen’s imminent Platinum Jubilee celebrations, this awareness of topical news may be a factor.

Further to this, there is another trend that has been taking place for a while; ‘Blokecore’ – recently picked up by fashion magazines as well as mainstream media, the trend took a foothold on TikTok, and has spilled out onto the streets, with young guys in particular wearing 90s football shirts to go to the pub even when there is no football on TV. There is some psychology behind this too; in a time when people are coming back together ‘post-covid’, wearing clothes that are nostalgic and a celebration of coming together as a group of friends feels relevant. 

@nicksfits My guide to Bloke Core! Love this “trend” because I love the sport!U should get into it too! I’ll tag Lukas in the comments as well! #greenscreen #fashion #fashiontiktok #blokecore #fashioninspo #fyp #fashion101 ♬ original sound - Nick Ramos 🃏

Another aspect, which plays a part, is that Coventry, where Binley Mega Chippy is located, happens to have just hosted Radio 1’s Big Weekend and is also this year’s UK Capital of Culture. With increased attention on the city, while surely deserving, Coventry on the surface is potentially not an obvious choice for celebrating culture, so perhaps the timely rise in fame of Binley Mega Chippy comes with a sense of irony.

As for the audio (sonic branding can do wonders for a brand FYI), there is a feeling of familiarity to it, but it’s quite hard to place. Upon closer inspection it sounds very close to ‘For He’s A Jolly Good Fellow’ – another British classic (side note: this song is originally French, but adopted by the British). This is combined with the familiar text-to-audio voiceover making it feel native to TikTok.

A viral video is hard or even impossible to predict and engineer, however, wider trends and macro news events can provide the foundations and relevance that enable virality. Being aware of these is key to being agile. Who knows, maybe Binley Mega Chippy chips will collab with McCain and soon be available to buy in supermarkets. You heard it here first.

Trendsetters

The Casual Carousel

The days of posting one perfect image are gone

By Laina Claydon

Friday, 29th of April 2022

Long gone are the days of posting one perfect image on Instagram. Instead, it’s all about casual carousels. 

With the term ‘authenticity’ being at the forefront of marketing, it’s no wonder why this trend has become so popular. 

Casual posting is about making your feed look more authentic, carefree and less thought-out.

In actual fact, it’s just as calculated as before.

Casual posting takes the form of a carousel of images on Instagram that some people call a ‘photo dump’. 

Instead of simply posting one picture-perfect photo of your outfit or holiday, it’s now all about showing everything: from your dinner to your dog and quirky street art. For added easygoing vibes, some are even unedited. 

Influencers such as Emma Chamberlain and Olivia Neill are the queens of casual posting and so it’s easy to see why everybody is doing it. 

Photo-dumping is a great way to show a more realistic version of your day and to come across more ‘casual’ on your social media, which is in stark contrast to the ‘perfect’ ways in which we tried to present ourselves for years on the photo-sharing platform. 

With influencers’ lives quickly becoming unobtainable to followers due to their wealth and lifestyles, casual posting has allowed them to appear more relatable to us – and it even gives us a glimpse into their ‘normal’ lives that we’ve not previously seen.

Casual posting definitely saw a rise during the start of the pandemic. After all, when we were all stuck at home unable to see our friends and family, we didn’t want to see others living their best lives. 

This more relaxed approach to photo-sharing sounds like a good thing, but is it?

There is now a whole new pressure to not only look super cool on your Instagram but also make sure every aspect of your day is ‘Instagrammable’. Now, more people than ever are proving to their audience how interesting their life is, and not only are people comparing their looks to their favourite influencers but their lifestyles too. 

Not everyday can look as fun and colourful as these photo dumps, and they often don’t include the commute to work, rainy weather and more mundane day-to-day activities that take up our days. 

With photo dumps comes a change in beauty trends too. People are now sharing their ‘clean’ makeup and glowy skin with brushed up brows. This new trend comes hand-in-hand with casual posting because everybody wants to look effortless, even if it means putting in more effort to look as if they haven’t.

Interestingly, it reminds us of how Instagram started out when feeds were full of instant snapshots of completely random things. There is even a hashtag #makeinstagramcasualagain that has been used over 48,000 times which began in 2018 and peaked in popularity in 2020.

And it’s not just influencers getting in on the trend, big name celebrities like Olivia Rodrigo, Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid have taken to casual posting. 

That’s a sure sign that this trend won’t be going anywhere for a while.

The TikTok timeline of a music artist

What happens when your track trends on the platform?

By Nana Frimpong

Monday, 31st of January 2022

TikTok has become the place to be when discovering new artists. 

Music is vital to the short-form video app, and the peak of the pandemic showed us just how big of a presence it is on the platform. This is evident by how many viral or trending tracks featured on the app have then been featured in music charts and on mainstream radio.

It’s no secret that the platform has become a haven for artists to preview their latest single, and for up-and-coming singer-songwriters to show off their talents in the hopes of being picked up as a trending track. But what happens when an unknown artist’s song goes viral?

A lot of the time, if your song takes off on TikTok then it will be because there is a challenge attached to it, whether it is a dance routine or as the backing track to a story. After hearing a track repeatedly, users will go on to wonder who the artist is who made the song and where they can stream more of their music. The app also allows users and other artists to duet, remix or collaborate by putting their own spin on the song. Singer songwriter Stacey Ryan is a great example of an artist collaborating/duetting with others on the app to create an amazing musical experience for all. 

DIY music artist and student Pink Pantheress saw her music go viral on TikTok, with her song just for me inspiring dance routines. Even UK Drill artist Central Cee jumped on a sample of the track. Pink Pantheress has since signed with Parlophone Records and recently won BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2022, making her an artist to watch out for this year. She continues to use TikTok to preview samples for users on the platform before going on to write and record a song.

Tai Verdes is another artist whose songs have gone viral on the app. Tai was working in a phone shop when he recorded his viral hit song stuck in the middle. When he posted it to TikTok, it blew up with more than 2.3 million people using the song as a soundtrack to their own content. He has since worked to turn viral success into a sustainable career which has seen him soar in US charts, release an album, and tour around the States.

It is fair to say that TikTok has become an essential tool for music artists, as well as a place for labels and listeners to discover new music. 

The Fifth’s ​​Commercial Partnerships Manager for Music Jonnie Owen says “TikTok helps break songs and emerging artists, creating ripples within an artist’s entire ecosystem driving engagement on social platforms, streams on DSP’s (Spotify, Apple, etc), seeing more people at gigs, and opens up opportunities for live streaming and e-commerce.”

Going viral on the platform has many benefits for an artist and it’s important for them to learn ways they can utilise the beneficial aspects of having a viral hit song. Jonnie says “Brands are leaning into the platform, and artists should look to having their new track used in sync placement for brand campaigns that can help create incremental revenue, rack up streams and cast the net further in growing an audience through association”.

Once a song does pick up traction, there often comes the opportunity for an artist to choose whether to sign with a label or remain as an independent artist. Whilst some might think a label might not truly represent the artist and their art, and simply be beneficial for monetary purposes, many believe the connections provided from labels support them to grow and build themselves up as a global artist.

For many up-and-coming musicians, there are lots of tools and services available to them which allows them to work as an independent artist. With complete control of their music, they can easily utilise social media platforms like TikTok, label services such as Tunecore and/or Distrokid, DSPs, live streaming services, e-commerce and even the metaverse to launch and maintain their music career.

A report in 2020 by UK-based MIDIA Research identified that, ‘the ‘artist direct’ sector (i.e. self-releasing acts using services like Amuse, TuneCore, CD Baby and Ditto) generated an estimated $821m globally in 2019”  displaying a large growth in this area and a radical shift away from the traditional label model.

Jonnie says “When used in an effective way, these tools and services can provide an artist with more options. A track record of DIY success can put an artist in a very strategic position i.e to licence their music to labels on more ‘artist friendly’ shorter terms rather than the antiquated long album deals (ultimately obtaining more control). In 2021, over 70 independent artists who started sharing music and growing their audience on TikTok have signed successful record deals.”

Tom Rosenthal is a musician whose remake of Edith Whiskers’ Home went viral on TikTok. Since then, he’s shared with his followers how remaining as an independent artist has actually helped him to build his music career. Through his success, he has since started his own independent record label, Tinpot Records, which signs emerging Indie artists. He has also told his followers and fellow independent artists that “there’s never been a better time for us, believe in yourself and never give your work away on a long term basis”.

Jonnie also offered more of his thoughts on labels vs independence, and says “a label can offer support in terms of investment in infrastructure, marketing, and opening new markets, audiences and driving more sales. 

“It’s an exciting time to be a musician and artists who are lucky to find themselves in this strategic position should enjoy utilising the tools they have available to them and not necessarily be in a hurry to sacrifice their independence.”

With this in mind, TikTok has truly proven its dominating effect and contribution to the music industry. With many artists choosing to preview their songs on the app in the hope of increasing streaming and reaching younger audiences, it has also taken over as the place to be for new artists to be themselves and share their talents to billions of people. 

The platform has also aided the push of music of different genres and cultures going viral, with the app becoming the centre of music discovery, and has birthed countless new artists such as Coi leray, Gayle, Foushee, Lauren Spencer-Smith and many more. It really is the place to be for music.

Trendsetters: the return of the noughties

forget the runway, trends now start on tiktok

By Nana Frimpong

Friday, 10 December 2021

Trends come and go. Whilst they used to originate on the runway, they now start on social media platforms such as Pinterest – with TikTok helping to push the narrative further. And unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year and half, you’ll undoubtedly have been inundated with the nostalgia wave of the noughties. 

Most millennials will remember flip phones, scarf tops and small bags. Lindsay Lohan appeared in every film, Britney Spears was on every radio station and evenings were spent updating our Tumblr account. Now, Generation Z have remixed some of the topical trends of that era and made it their own. 

When you scroll through TikTok, you’ll see the very best (and worst) moments of the Y2K era on your feed. It has brought back classic musical moments such as Bring it On (“brr it’s cold in here, there must be some toros in the atmosphere”) and High School Musical (“we’re all in this together”), and the app is the place to be if you’re looking for a walk down memory lane.

The return of the noughties hasn’t just been present on TikTok. If you listen closely to some of the recent chart hits, you’ve probably heard samples of some of your favorite songs from the era. For example, T-pain’s club classic Buy you a drank was turned into a female empowerment song by Kehlani – I like Dat. And if you are into Drill, you would have heard Ardee sample a House music classic – T2 heartbroken – on his song Wasted

Another reason why TikTok is the place to be when looking for inspiration and music recommendations is because a lot of the trending sounds are from iconic songs from the 2000s, for example Dj Unk ft T-Pain – 2 step and Wipe Me Down. These songs have definitely played a small part in millennials’ lives at one point and now they’re becoming a part of the lives of the Gen Z population too.

@graceshadrack

It isn’t just the music of the noughties making a comeback, so is the fashion. From small purses (shoutout Dior and Jacquemus) and scarf tops, to velour tracksuits (the Juicy Couture classic) and wide trousers and jeans. A few of your favourite content creators have been rocking the noughties looks for a while (Grace shadrack, Tiffanie, Debbiedarko, Aly Meghani, Parisa, Koleen Diaz, Ceirra Nia, Eyes Rodgers, Meghan Rose, Dymon, Francesca Perk, Holly Marston , and Tamika Bennett to name a few). It is also interesting that a lot of Gen Zers deem 2000s fashion to be vintage, despite it still feeling relatively contemporary to many of us.

But why has there been a comeback? They say fashion is recyclable, with trends from previous generations re-emerging after around two decades, but it’s a little hard to believe that those born between 2000-2009 are now nearly 20 years old. The real question is: why has Gen Zers taken such a liking to the music, fashion and movies from this era? Interestingly, the Y2K trend seems to have emerged from our downtime in lockdown, with Gen Zers finding the nostalgia from this era comforting and a way to escape reality and look back at simpler times. With the launch of Disney Plus at the end of 2019, this only increased the nostalgia effect as it brought back childhood memories and reintroduced people to remakes of classics like The Lion King and She’s All That. 

When we look back on the 2000s, it can be seen as problematic due to its wild headlines and questionable fashion. It was, after all, the era that gave us Britney’s breakdown and subsequent conservatorship, and Janet Jackson being ‘cancelled’ for flashing Justin Timberlake at the Superbowl. We also lost 2000 icons like actor Heath Ledger and singer Michael Jackson. It is an era that millennials might not look back on wholly fondly, with some even advising Gen Zers not to repeat their mistakes.

Though the return of the 2000s hasn’t always been received favourably, with some dismissing the live action remakes of old classics, others have welcomed a resurgence of something familiar in such uncertain times. Interestingly, though fashion trends are often cyclical, what we’re seeing is different aspects of 2000s fashion and music being thrown together with current and emerging trends. As new artists get inspired by old ones, it’s fair to say that we should prepare to hear many more remixes of old tracks and hits on platforms like TikTok. And unless we have new ideas for movies and TV series, the reimagination of classics will be here to stay.

Trendsetters: RISE OF THE Greenfluencer

The influencers encouraging you to spend less and save more

By Milan Charles

Thursday, 29th of April 2021

Fast fashion and sustainability – seemingly incompatible terms with no apparent happy medium, with the former being to blame for hindering the latter.

By now, we should all be well aware that there is a price to pay for super affordable clothing. It’s a relatively small cost to us – a much bigger cost to the environment and third world garment workers. So, what can we do to change this and tackle our fast fashion habits? 

Introducing the Greenfluencers – eco warrior forces for good, encouraging us to spend less and save more (money and the planet that is). 

Sustainability credibility is majorly shaping the way we look at the fashion and beauty industries, and while there have been big influencers from Venetia Falconer and Camilla Thurlow who have long been pushing this message, it’s the micro influencers targeting their friends and family to make little changes with big impact who often go unnoticed for their vigilante work.

For this weeks’ Trendsetters, I spoke to charity worker and sustainability enthusiast, Hannah Jordan of @basicbrecyles, who had some thought provoking insights and advice to share:

Why is it so important to you to encourage others to live sustainably? 

“I had no idea about living sustainably and the negative impact I was making – especially with fashion. I just assumed there were rules that retailers had to follow and never thought I was part of the problem. Upon a quick google search, I was shocked to learn about greenwashing and the other lies we are fed to keep us in the dark. I just want more people to be aware of the problem, especially with the fast fashion content we’re bombarded with on a daily basis on social media.”

What are the warning signs when shopping from a brand we’re not familiar with? 

“If they constantly have new products in, thousands and thousands of products in the ‘new in’ section and anything suspiciously low priced. Take a £5 top for example, if it’s been made consciously with the environment and the workers human rights in mind then it just couldn’t be that cheap. Companies that keep up with all of the seasonal trends, companies that constantly have sales with crazy reductions and discount codes. Also the materials, if it’s not 100% cotton or organic cotton then that’s usually a sign that it’s not been made with sustainability in mind and the people making it most likely haven’t been paid or treated fairly. Also if a brand actually cares about the environment they won’t be sending loads of influencers mountains and mountains of ‘gifted’ clothing for free – this is irresponsible, the shipping, packaging and so on.

“Keep an eye out for recycled collections too – it’s often not the total honest truth and just a marketing ploy. It’s important to do your research.”

What are some of the easy changes you encourage your friends and family to make?

“Instead of buying new things, check to see if you already have something that could work or something similar. Borrow from your friends and family or swap items too. Always think of the ‘30 wears test’ especially if you have to buy fast fashion – before you buy think ‘will I wear this 30 times?’. But mainly if you can, shop second hand, on Depop, Vinted, eBay or in stores, but still apply the ‘30 wears test’.”

Prior to Macklemore’s 2012 hit Thrift Shop, the idea of shopping second hand brought to mind rummaging through racks of tatty and outdated clothing. Today, with over 21 million users (90% of whom are estimated to be under the age of 26), Depop has helped to make shopping secondhand cool and fast fashion ‘basic’. 

Over on TikTok, Gen Z have found clever ways to upcycle their thrifted products with the #ThriftChallenge. They might turn a hoodie into a handbag or Dad’s old shirt into a two piece co-ord. 

But fashion is just the tip of the iceberg. There is so much more we can do with the guidance of the Greenfluencers to reduce our negative impact on the world’s health. Be it second hand shopping, reducing plastic waste, veganism, upcycling or simply just walking a little more – there’s plenty of ways for us to spend less and save more.

Here are some of my favourite Greenfluencers, using their influence to be a force for positive change:

Tolmeia Gregory

Suszi Saunders 

Nayna Florence Patel

Mikaela Loach

Trendsetters: hun culture – the Most Relatable Woman in Britain

The social media phenomenon which worships soap stars, girl group members and X Factor auditions

By Milan Charles

Thursday, 15th of April 2021

Hun culture is a corner of the internet for British pop culture fanatic ‘girls and gays’ – embodying all that is nostalgic British humour. To be a ‘hun’ is to be a lover of 2-4-1 cocktails, holibobs, online shopping and reality tv. It’s about appreciating ‘jeans and a nice top’ not only as a fashion statement but a lifestyle and way of life.

On Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, hun accounts have become a legitimate part of meme culture. It appeals so widely because it represents the relatable, fun side of the British celebrity – a polar opposite of the dominant, A-lister, perfectly filtered (very American) content that saturates our timelines. Instead, huns are flamboyant, camp and unique, embracing the ugly bits and unapologetically indulging in guilty pleasures.

Meme accounts like @loveofhuns and @hunsnet have seen their follower counts skyrocket over the course of COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK. They’ve become a source of escapism and what’s interesting is that the celebrity subjects and beloved divas hailed by them have fully embraced the culture’s shared sense of humor, where the jokes are so affectionate that the stars can feel in on them, rather than the butt of them, adoring their hun status. The hun community is a place where we can all laugh at ourselves equally. The culture has even stretched to the podcast world, seeing shows like @hunbelievablepodcast and @jackremmington’s ‘Iconic’ emerge over recent years.

Wine-in-a-can brand HUN Wines cleverly tapped directly into the culture with their launch in 2020. The broad individuality of the HUNdred society of influencers leading the launch only further emphases the wide appeal of hun culture. Celebrating all that is unique to the community of huns, their distinctiveness, colourful campness and love of convenient booze, the @drinkhun launch was pretty genius.

British pop culture has a large cult following but you have to be in on it to understand the references. When you’re a hun, you can be in the smoking area of a club and overhear a group quoting Alison Hammond falling in the Thames or Ainsley Harriot’s “WHY HELLO JILL!” and know they’re on the same wavelength as you. Whether it’s ‘David’s dead’ or Dawn the Jocky’s X factor audition, your favourite cultural moment from the past 20 years is certainly the pride of the hun community, along with lesser-known celebrity interviews and blunders that have been dug up from the archives. 

Be it Nadine Coyle, Gemma Collins, Katie Price or the late Nikki Graham as the subject, hun comedy is more than an inside joke, it’s only offensive if it’s not relatable.

Trendsetters: Gen Z on Pinterest

Pinterest is a platform to experiment and explore

By Milan Charles

Thursday, 1st of April 2021

Every month, over 400 million people turn to Pinterest for inspiration. Whether it’s crafting, cooking or party planning, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone. 

Pinterest quickly became a cultural phenomenon shortly after its launch in March of 2010, its key demographic being Millennials and Gen Xers looking for DIY hacks, interior decorating tips, and wedding planning inspiration. Now, alongside Instagram and TikTok, Gen Z is descending on Pinterest as well – primarily for its fashion prowess. 

Pinterest has always been for everyone. Women have largely made up the majority of its users (more than 60% of the platform’s users globally, in fact) but for many of its younger users, across all genders, Pinterest is a platform to experiment and explore.

Spend five minutes on a TikTok ‘for you page’ or a quick scroll through YouTubes recommendations and you should come across a variety of videos where users recreate ‘Pinterest outfits’. Instagram-based Gen Z creators like @oliviagraceherring are also known to create ‘Pinterest Inspired’ Reels content, showcasing their evolving personal style. Other creators such as YouTube-first duo @sophiatuxford and @cinziabayliszullo have shown how they use Pinterest to inspire their Instagram content and interior design style. On TikTok especially, when fashion content goes viral the comments are often flooded with requests for the creators’ Pinterest account.

Aesthetics are more important than ever for Gen Z, according to Enid Hwang, Pinterest’s community marketing manager, with the search for the word ‘aesthetic’ ranking 447% more frequent amongst Gen Z than with Millennials. Gen Z’s journey to discover their identity is ever present. It’s evident that with this image sharing app, the younger generation is creating boards that reflect their dream lifestyle, along with how they wish to dress and present themselves.

Type any aesthetic keyword into Pinterest’s search bar and you’ll find yourself flooded not only with fashion inspiration but a fully developed mood board, complete with accompanying exteriors and It girls who epitomize the style. Just about every time period, “vibe”, and niche has been compartmentalized with characteristic color palettes and key pieces. From cottagecore to streetwear, e-girl to Y2K, Pinterest makes the process of discovering your style effortless and easy for its Gen Z users.

Unlike TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, Pinterest serves as a space for personal exploration in a similar way to Tumblr during its early 2010 peak. In the absence of the added pressures of likes and comments, and without the added need to create and post original content, users can submerge themselves into new personal tastes, and use it as an opportunity for self-reflection without fear of judgement.

Trendsetters:  How RuPaul’s Drag Race invented a new social media subculture

have you been watching  season two?

By Milan Charles

Thursday, 18th of February 2021

As RuPaul’s Drag Race UK approaches the 6th episode of its second season, I want to take a look at the impact of drag on mainstream culture, the invention of a new social media subculture and how social media helped make drag mainstream.

First hitting our screens in the early 2000’s on relatively unknown US cable channel Logo TV, who could have predicted the global influence RuPaul’s Drag Race has today? Drag Race has become a cultural juggernaut, influencing our language and behaviour on social media every day – in ways we may not even notice. 

RuPaul’s Drag Race is a loud and proud LGBTQ+ talent show, combining elements of top shows Project Runway and America’s Next Top Model, and challenging social norms by selecting the nation’s best drag queens as contestants. On the show, they fight for the crown by competing in various challenges, including singing, dancing, lip syncing, acting and comedy.

Over the years, as its popularity has grown tenfold, Drag Race has gone beyond entertaining its ever-growing army of fans. It has helped to open the door of drag, LGBTQ+ and black queer culture for a mainstream audience – introducing and normalising the conventions, habits, rituals and attitudes of these subcultures to the mainstream public. Through Drag Race, the language of drag has not just been recognised and accepted, but gained new life as an art form through memes, GIFs and content that floods our social media feeds. On Drag Race, language stops being just subcultural ‘lingo’ and is a channel for spreading and popularising drag slang and has been subsequently adopted by online pop culture. 

Drag has gone largely unrecognised as an art form outside of the LGBTQ+ community, with many drag queens living on the fringes of society and amongst them are some of those hit hardest by the global pandemic which forced so many into unemployment as their regular gigs were forced to shut. However, following the mainstream success that drag has seen over recent years, many queens have been able to migrate to online ways of working thanks to the relationship it has developed with commercial social media. 

The professionalisation of both drag and social media has seen a rise in drag career YouTubers, social media influencers and content creators. Their parallel evolution towards highly-polished, branded professionalism has provided the conditions for drag culture’s mainstream visibility. A professionalised social media presence is all but compulsory for Drag Race contestants. RuPaul regularly directs viewers to engage through hashtags, and audiences are encouraged to support their favourite queens similarly. In more recent seasons, the size of online followings has been a frequent topic of discussion. There are also debates about whether contestants are ‘social media queens’, who exist solely online, or ‘stage queens’ who perform in a more traditional sense. 

Furthermore, Drag Race contestants often frame their social media participation as entrepreneurial self-branding. Here are some of my favourite UK queens on the rise…

  1. @itstayce
  2.  @herrthequeen
  3. @tastemycaramelle
  4. @lawrencechaney