Apple and Fortnite are in a feud after the App Store removed the game, these YouTubers pushed a Phil Collins song to the top of the music charts (again), a strawberry dress is the hottest fashion trend on TikTok this summer, and Fresh Prince is getting a “dark” remake—and more stories and youth news you shouldn’t miss this week…
The App Store & Google Play Store Removed Fortnite—Now Players Are Calling to #FreeFortnite
It seems like TikTok isn’t the only social app popular with young consumers facing recent drama. On Thursday, it was reported that Apple removed Fortnite from the App Store after its developer Epic Games “implemented its own in-app payment system” that bypassed Apple’s standard 30% fee. Hours later Google Play Store followed suit. Android users can still download the game using Epic Games’ app. The decision to kick the gaming platform off their store marked a “significant escalation” in the feud between Epic Games and Apple, and comes at an “especially fraught time” for Apple who is currently navigating antitrust concerns over how it operates the App Store and the rules it imposes on certain developers. Hours after it was removed, Epic Games sued Apple and Google. And they went even further by unleashing a social media campaign against the tech company with a “parody” ad mocking one of Apple’s “most iconic” commercials inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. On YouTube, the ad has received more than a million views, while it has accumulated millions of views across other social platforms like Twitter and Instagram. The caption of the video reads: “Epic Games has defined the App Store Monopoly. In retaliation, Apple is blocking Fortnite from a billion devices. Visit fn.gg/freefortnite and join the fight to stop 2020 from becoming 1984.” In the original ad, Apple used the Orwell novel to debut the original Macintosh computer by positioning themselves as a “rebellious upstart” willing to challenge the status quo with the tagline “You’ll see why 1984 won’t be like 1984.” But in Epic Games’ version, they’ve reversed that position and portray Apple and its App Store policies as the “oppressive regime.” The new ad is promoting a short film Nineteen Eighty-Fortnite, which will premiere in the game. The developer has even been using the hashtag #FreeFortnite to promote the short film and rally support from fans. Gamers have taken to YouTube to show support. On Twitter, the hashtag began to trend immediately after the ad was released, and has received more than 21 million views on TikTok. And even companies like Spotify and Match Group have expressed their support by siding with Epic Games. However, some have speculated that Epic Games already had this planned considering the quick turnaround. During the pandemic, Fortnite has gone beyond just being a gaming app and transformed into even more of a social platform as well as an entertainment venue for virtual concerts.
These Gen Z YouTubers Just Made A Phil Collins Song Go Viral
YouTubers Tim and Fred Williams (who post on their channel “TwinsthenewTrend,” which has 429K subscribers) are known for posting reaction videos while listening to songs from classic artists that range from Dolly Parton to the Spice Girls. At the end of July, the twins shared a video of themselves (which garnered more than 5 million views) listening to the 1981 Phil Collins song “In The Air Tonight” for the first time. And their reaction is priceless. At the beginning of the track, the duo carefully listen and critique the opening minutes (“This is like a WWE entrance where I can see somebody walking down to the ring to this,” says one of them.) It’s the drum break at the 3-minute mark that causes them to “lose” it. “He killed that, bro,” the teens exclaim with a shocked reaction on their face. They continued to say that they never heard anyone “drop a beat” like that in a song. Of course, the internet is loving the reaction video too and even celebrities like director Ava DuVernay have been resharing it across various platforms. Journalist Jamelle Bouie (@jbouie) tweeted: “out of curiosity i played “in the air tonight” for my toddler this afternoon and sure enough he lost his mind at the drums” in a post that received 10.5K likes. The now viral reaction video has even caused “In The Air Tonight” to surge in streams and sales. According to Deadline, the song has reached the top of the iTunes Top Songs chart taking the third spot behind Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” and Daris Rucker’s “Beers and Summer.” The video follows the trend of how Gen Z have been listening to older music. Using YPulse’s real-time data tool PULSE, we found that young music goers are actually more likely to be listening to “older songs” right now than “new songs.” Recently, TikTokers have made songs of Taylor Swift and Lily Allen from the 2000s go viral proving how ‘00s nostalgia is hot right now.
A Strawberry Dress Is The Pandemic “Dress of the Summer”
The pandemic has inspired a lot of fashion trends so far and young people who are spending more time working and learning from home are fueling the athleisure and loungewear industry. There was even the nap dress. But of course, while there’s a lot of leisure and “at-home” clothing trends, there had to be a prominent dressy trend to take over during the summer of COVID. And this year, it seems to be a colorful, fruity one. Known as the “Strawberry Dress,” it’s been spotted all over Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, where the hashtag #StrawberryDress has 5.7 million views. It is made of pink tulle with a deep V-neckline and ruffles along the calf-length hem, a cinched waist, and covered in red sequin strawberry embellishments. In January, model Tess Holliday even wore a custom version of it to the Grammys, which she described as “If Strawberry Shortcake & Lana Del Rey had a baby.” The $490 dress is designed by Lirika Matoshi. Many influencers have been seen donning it on their feeds, and it’s become so popular that even other companies have been trying to make “cheaper” knockoffs of it, while some social media users have documented videos of themselves attempting to design similar styles of it. But for those who can’t afford the hefty price tag of the dress in real life, there’s ways to virtually wear it on Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While Matoshi said the dress has been available since last July, she said sales for it have “exploded” in August increasing 1,073% compared to the same time last date period last month. According to Google Trends, searches for Matoshi’s name and the term “strawberry dress” spiked at the end of July. While Matoshi isn’t exactly sure why, many believe it’s because of the rise of the cottagecore aesthetic, which has been used as a form of “fashion escapism” during this difficult time. The dress is even frequently seen under the #cottagecore hashtag (which has 3.3 billion views) on TikTok. Throughout the pandemic, many clothing companies and celebrities (like Taylor Swift) have adopted the cottagecore look into their branding.
Thanks to a Fan-Made Trailer, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is Getting a “Dark” TV Reboot
It’s not just content from the 2000s that is trending with young consumers, but the ‘90s too. Remember the reimagined fan made Fresh Prince trailer that went viral last year? As a refresher, director Morgan Cooper created a fake trailer for “Bel-Air,” a much darker and dramatic reimagining of the popular NBC sitcom about a teen from Philly who is forced to live with his wealthy Uncle Phil, Aunt Vivian, and cousins Carlton and Hilary Banks in Bel-Air after getting into some trouble in his old neighborhood. The nearly four-minute clip received 6 million views shortly after its debut. And a month after the trailer’s newfound attention, Cooper met up with Will Smith, where they talked about the project, and the actor even made and shared a video “How I Really Feel About That BEL-AIR Trailer” that accumulated 7 million views. This week, it was announced that the original trailer is being turned into a TV series and has been secretly in development for more than a year, and is currently being shopped by major streaming services like HBO Max, Peacock, and Netflix. It was first announced by The Hollywood Reporter this week, and reshared by Cooper in a tweet that received 9.6K likes. Earlier this year, we predicted how TV series and movies based on viral content from the internet would become big in 2020.
Links We’re Passing:
With #shroomtook and #triptok, “magic mushrooms” are big with TikTokers during the pandemic.
And nuns are going viral on TikTok too.
Colorful “cloud bread” is the latest quarantine food trend to take over TikTok—but many users claim that it looks better than it tastes.
Meanwhile, a “green needle” versus “brainstorm” debate has resurfaced on TikTok.
A “fox eye” beauty trend is trending on social media, but many users are insisting it’s racist.
Fisher-Price has launched “bleak” WFH playsets for toddlers.
TikTok Trump impersonator Sarah Cooper is getting her own Netflix comedy special.
Reincarnated Mr. Peanut isn’t Baby Nut anymore and has transformed into 21-year-old Peanut Jr.—but Twitter users aren’t happy about it and are calling to #BlockMrPeanut.
The Avatar: The Last Airbender live action series is no longer going forward at Netflix as the showrunners back out.
Patrick Star from SpongeBob Squarepants is getting his very own late night talk show in a spinoff.
