A brief overview of what is currently trending on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
#SonicMovie3: Paramount has released the first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog 3, premiering on December 20.
Mariah: Mariah Carey shared that her mother and sister died on the same day this past weekend.
Charli: Fans are reacting to Charli xcx’s New York Magazine photoshoot and interview.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Symphony Dolphin Meme
What It Is: I JUST WANNA BE PART OF YOUR SYMPHONYYYYY🐬🐬🐬 TikTok users are posting bright images of dolphins with silly, brutally honest text and pairing it with Zara Larsson’s 2017 song “Symphony” to create a cheeky juxtaposition that’s visually delightful and a bit dark in subject matter. The Symphony Dolphin meme has quickly taken over TikTok, with users and brands garnering massive engagement from the simple format. The momentum of this meme is so huge that Zara Larsson herself acknowledged it by including dolphin concert visuals in the latest performance of her pop ballad, saying, “it had to happen.” The life cycle of the meme continued from there when fans filmed the performance and used it as a backdrop to insert more demotivational text, literally bringing the meme to life. Trending meme formats come and go, but real-life memes like this are so unserious and seriously iconic.
Brand Takeaway: If a meme is potent enough, it has the potential to go anywhere - beyond people’s feeds and into real-life moments. These massive posts don’t necessarily have to follow a rigid structure or logical timeline, either. Despite “Symphony” being almost a decade old and having (seemingly) nothing to do with dolphins, TikTok users mashed them together simply because it’s a fun, effective format to share what’s on their mind and make people laugh. Brands that are willing to acknowledge their deep lore (like Zara did!), leverage it, and take a swing at a nonsensical social media post might not see huge numbers every time, but it’s worth a try. Why and how far memes like Symphony Dolphin travel are sometimes as random as the meme’s subject matter, so test it out!
Examples: 1, 2, 3
Four must-click links that crossed our feeds today.
Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 16 and other updates on September 9 📱
Wendy Williams was spotted in public for the first time in over a year 📸
Oasis is reuniting for a 2025 reunion tour after a 15-year hiatus 🎤
Nicki Minaj will release her Pink Friday 2: Gag City Reloaded deluxe album on September 13 💿
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