A brief overview of what is currently trending on on X in news, culture, and/or trending hashtags and formats.
Kyrie: The NBA player trends after winning last night's game for the Dallas Mavericks, with a left-handed floater, and while he fasts during Ramadan.
#bloodbath: Several news organizations are being called out online after misreporting a comment made by former President Donald Trump. During a rally, Trump said the automobile industry would experience a "bloodbath" if President Joe Biden was reelected in 2024, however, several news outlets reported Trump's comments to be about the 2024 election in general.
#QuietOnSet: Social media reacts to Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kid's TV. The docu-series explores allegations of abuse at the hands of Nickelodeon and showrunner Dan Schneider.
A deeper dive into a subject that is impacting culture on a macro level, beyond just the social space.
Mainstream Goes Full Cowboy
What it is: After Beyonce released two country singles during the Super Bowl, Google searches for “cowboy hat” increased 212.5% and searches for “bolo tie” exploded by 566%. Days before Queen B’s announcement, Lana Del Rey announced that her next album would also be country. Although the coastal cowgirl craze took over TikTok last year, cowboy style has popped all over once again, with western culture influencing everything from fashion, music, weddings and even Oscar performances. Cowboy fashion has never fully gone out of style, but this renaissance looks a bit different. Typically, cowboy culture is connected to an ultra-masculine and largely white narrative but this current cowboy surge is highlighting a more multi-cultural and gender bending side of western culture. The cowboy aesthetic has been highly influenced by Mexican vaqueros and one-in-four cowboys in the American West are Black. More so, Beyonce’s current country era is bringing more attention to Black artist in the country genre, like Charley Pride and Lesley Riddle. Even supermodel Bella Hadid’s latest romance with real-life cowboy, Adan Banuelos. The craze has ignited the popularity of cowboys on apps like TikTok. Expect to see more cowboy love during 2024.
What brands can learn: Cowboys have never gone out of style, but this latest craze is all about showing some of the roots of cowboy culture that have never been paid attention to before. It means highlighting its influences, like Mexican vaqueros, or breaking stereotypes by showing the many different cowboys that are part of American culture, like Black cowboys. This craze is also about mixing the cowboy and country aesthetics with other subcultures that may not be typically associated with them, for example, gender bending artists like Orville Peck or Trixie Mattel. So, if your brand wants to go full western in 2024, think of ways in which you’re highlighting the iconic elements of cowboy culture while giving your audience an original take.
Examples: 1, 2, 3
A recap of what you might have missed while not online
Friday afternoon: The Senate slowed the bill that could ban TikTok in the US after a rapid House vote.
Saturday: Questions surrounding Kate Middleton's "disappearance" continue to take the internet by storm.
Sunday: A recap of the 2024 New York City Saint Patrick's Day Parade.
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