Check out the latest social media trends in 2024
Dive into the latest social media trends: video format, lip-syncing, and dancing construction workers are all covered by Epidemic Sound’s social media expert.
Another month, another absolutely wild time online. Join Epidemic Sound’s community manager, Madie Hooker, as she breaks down six of the hottest social media trends.
1. The postcard Instagram format gives users something to write home about
Instagram’s become more comfortable with vertical content as the years roll on, keeping up with portrait-style platforms like TikTok and YouTube Shorts. That said, it doesn’t mean that horizontal posts are out of style. In fact, some creators have embraced the vintage, postcard-ish quality brought out by a 16:10 aspect ratio.
Check out GKOH’s beautiful video series, How Immigrant Parents Say ‘I Love You’, which was created using this format. Married to the subtle sound design and color grading, it’s like something from a Wes Anderson movie — we can’t get enough of it. And not just because it features our sound effects!
2. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Maps goes off-course
It’s been more than twenty years since the Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ debut album, Fever to Tell, and they’re still reaching new audiences. The indie rockers’ 2003 single Maps rode back into popularity between September and October, following user southernbellesuzie’s dance to the track on TikTok.
Like most great dance crazes on the platform, Maps blew up. There’s no real rhyme or reason for these viral moments. The song and the dance just gel in an organic, funny way. Google Trends data shows that the track was still gaining steam as late as mid-October — if you choose the right banger and aren’t afraid of making fun of yourself, you could go far.
@southernbellesuzie TKE BATHROOM GOT THE VIBESS WAITTTTTTT #maps #fyp #hunterdontbemadatme ♬ maps - <3
3. Thanking Beyoncé, simply bey-cause
We should all probably thank Beyoncé for something at some point, right? Whether it be for Lemonade, the Single Ladies dance, or those near-three-hour concerts, Queen Bey’s given us a lot. So, it came as no surprise when people started randomly thanking the Grammy-winning icon on social media.
The meme stems from the fact that tons of artists thank Beyoncé in awards acceptance speeches, despite her having little to no involvement. It evolved into creators jokingly thanking her for unrelated stuff. Then, it morphed into a curse-like meme, with users ‘forgetting’ to thank Beyoncé for basic tasks, like sending an email or washing the dishes.
There’s also a darker side to this trend, spurred on by the accusations leveled against Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs in September 2024. These connections are unfounded, though, so we’re happy to just keep thanking Beyoncé every time we successfully get out of bed.
@jutop1a she knowles…. #beyonce #pdiddy #jayz #sheknows ♬ son original - ﹒⪩⪨﹒
4. Nostalgia in da cluuuuuuub
New memes and trends often come in the form of rehashed content, and that’s exactly what’s happened here. A 2016 clip from the TV show Broad City has wiggled its way into content creators’ vocabulary, causing a swell of lip-sync videos. Just remember: ‘In da clurb, we all fam.’
5. Brands marketing with food and drink
Nothing brings people together like food and drink. In the case of Oscar-winning legend Olivia Colman, it’s an English breakfast tea: brew first, milk second, and half a sugar, please.
Luxury fashion brand Burberry’s #ItsAlwaysBurberryWeather campaign is joyously simple. Enlist a British celebrity (or Irish, in Barry Keoghan’s case) and ask them to make their perfect cup of tea. It might seem irrelevant, but it immediately connects the Burberry brand to its British heritage. We’ve noticed other brands running with this food/drink idea recently — it’s a fun, direct way to build those associations in potential customers’ heads.
@burberry Tea with Olivia Colman #ItsAlwaysBurberryWeather ♬ original sound - Burberry
6. This guy
When your moves are so fire, you become a CapCut template.
@much When the lyrics loaded GloRilla had no chance 😭 [via @Isaiahw25 ♬ original sound - MuchMusic
Need inspiration for your content? Check out Epidemic Sound’s catalog of more than 50,000 tracks and 200,000 unique sound effects and variations — we’re sure you’ll find what you need.
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