Across the social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, Facebook, and Pinterest there are new trends popping up each day. Joining in on trends by creating unique content for your own page is a great way to grow you following, increase brand awareness, and drive new engagement to your page in 2024. From niche trends that grow to surpass billions of impressions to mainstream trends that take over the influencer marketing landscape and drive conversation across multiple platforms, we’re here to cover all of the viral social media trends each month.
In 2023, there have been plenty of viral social media trends that have taken over influencer marketing and the creator economy. And in 2024, we’re starting things off with even more. Here’s everything that’s trending on social media right now on Instagram and TikTok.
Viral Social Media Trends January 2024
Coquette and clean girl aesthetics? Meet your newest competitor, the mob wife aesthetic. Minimalism is being pushed aside for maximalism in the creator economy, with fashion influencers embracing fur coats and big sunglasses in this latest style trend.
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2014 is making a comeback in 2024, sepia filters and Musical.ly style lip syncing returning to the FYP on TikTok. With influencers like Addison Rae spearheading this nostalgic, social media movement, it seems like more and more content creators are looking to throw it back to the early 2010s when Tumblr, Instagram, and Vine were taking over social media.
@addisonremy girls <3♬ i got it bad – Addison Rae
‘Something That I Want’ from the Disney movie, Tangled, is gaining TikTok popularity after a Melissa McCarthy edit with the song went viral.
@pollypocket.mp3I WANT SOMETHIN THAT I WANT 😀😀😀😀😀♬ I WANT SOMETHING THAT I WANT – sturniolo (taylor’s version)
The ‘we are’ trend is a simple yet fun one that is adaptable to any niche, whether it’s creator or brand sided.
@rootsmarketingagency We are social media managers, of course we are going to hop on this trend 🙌🏼🙌🏼 #socialmediamanagers #contentcreator #thingsyouneedtoknow #trends ♬ original sound – ROOTS MARKETING AGENCY
TikTokers are unapologetic about some of their most ‘toxic traits’, which they’re telling their audience about using Ariana Grande’s ‘yes, and?’
@vexssa never too cold to serve #yesand #arianagrande ♬ yes, and? – Ariana Grande
Viral Social Media Trends December 2023
Kurt Angle took the top spot for best social media meme in December 2023. Him staring into the camera has become one of Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter’s most used memes.
@bleacherreport 🚨 WWE Superstar Kurt Angle has made it to TikTok 🚨 (Via @Kurt Angle) #wwe #wrestling #aew #kurtangle ♬ original sound – bleacherreport
The Ray Ban Meta Glasses became every influencer’s favorite thing on social media, all because of a viral trend with KPOP group BTS’s Jungkook’s ‘3D’.
@glew.eeThe next generation of content creation is here. Introducing the Ray Ban Meta Smart Glasses, the newest must-have for influencers. These smart glasses have taken over the TikTok for you page. Content creators are getting millions of likes just by showing off these glasses, all while jamming out to the song ‘3D by Jungkook ft Jack Harlow.’ 🔥 Here’s everything you need to know about Ray Ban and Meta’s newest invention, the Ray Ban Meta Smart Glasses. And why it’s taking over social media right now. 🕶️♬ original sound – Glewee – Paid Brand Deals
‘First Snow’ by KPOP group EXO went viral because of its fun, Christmas-themed dance challenge, which was done by several prominent KPOP groups like ITZY, TWICE, and STRAY KIDS.
@twice_tiktok_official 원스 만나면 눈물 차올라☃️❄️ ONCE you make my heart swell with love #첫눈챌린지 #thefirstsnow #트와이스 #TWICE #정연 #JEONGYEON #지효 #JIHYO ♬ 첫 눈 The First Snow – EXO
The long-awaited GTA 6 trailer dropped from Rockstar Games, which created a viral Internet meme where people compare everything to the release date of the game.
@glew.ee After 10 years, we’ve finally gotten a trailer from Rockstar Games for the next installment of the Grand Theft Auto franchise, GTA 6. Set in sunny Vice City (or as we know it, modern day Miami, Florida), GTA 6 follows Lucia and Jason as they embark on a Bonnie and Clyde, action-packed adventure. 🌴 The game is coming out in 2025, 12 years after the release of GTA 5 in 2013. And the Internet cannot stop talking about it. Here’s how the GTA 6 trailer release has impacted the Internet these past few hours, and how content creators are using this trending topic to create fun and engaging content, even if they aren’t gamers. 🎮 #gta6 #rockstargames #gta #gta5 #gta6trailer #socialmedianews #creatoreconomy #influencers #kaicenat #kiera #dylanpage ♬ original sound – Glewee – Paid Brand Deals
Viral Social Media Trends November 2023
Surround Sound by JID created one of 2023’s most viral social media trends, which involved taping a phone to the ceiling, and dancing to the music.
@degastenvanploeg This trend but OR edition🤌🩺 #surroundsound #or #trend ♬ Surround Sound – JID
Gail Lewis from Walmart became November’s most well-known social media icon.
@sesameclips Gail Lewis 🫡#gaillewis #walmart #fyp ♬ original sound – Sesame Shots
Get your dancing shoes on! Tate McRae’s ‘exes’ went viral for its catchy beat and addictive lyrics, and became a fan-favorite among TikTok’s dancers.
@tatemcrae i had to try it dc @Kevin Bannier 🧩 ♬ exes – Tate McRae
Viral Social Media Trends October 2023
Taylor Swift and Ice Spice were the stars of the VMA, and their interactions, as well as their solo activities, became the go-to for social media managers when it came to social media memes.
@jaijackso drunk taylor is out tonight!!😭✌️#taylorswift #vmas2023 #vmas #mtv #icespice #swiftok #swiftie #theerastour #foryou ♬ original sound – jai ✰
Lil Mabu’s ‘Take Your B’, featuring Chrisean Rock, not only trended as an audio on TikTok, but was also a viral dance challenge.
@lilmabu i tried🕺 #fypシ #MTYB #dance #lilmabu #chriseanrock #blueface ♬ MR. TAKE YA B*TCH (FEAT. CHRISEANROCK) – Lil Mabu & CHRISEAN ROCK
The Jubi Slide became the Internet’s favorite dance move, with everyone on social media trying to recreate it.
@tr3ywavy Jubislide this way in 4 Easy Steps! #tr3ywavy ♬ original sound – Trey Wavy 🌊
Drake and Yeat secured their spot as September’s most popular meme, with Drake’s ‘IDGAF’ trending due to the rapper’s high-energy ‘Money for fun!’ line.
@king.scienceexcited drake♬ Yeat x Drake IDGAF – walterblack
Viral Social Media Trends September 2023
September was all about celebrity couples. Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift. Timothee Chalamet and Kylie Jenner. And social media managers were using all of their pictures as memes for Instagram.
@_makaylastephens_ it has been a great burden to keep this information to myself for so long #greenscreen @Taylor Nation @Travis Kelce #TaylorSwift #TravisKelce #Halloween2023 #fypシ ♬ original sound – Makayla Stephens
Milan Fashion Week didn’t just bring us fashion looks. The fashion shows were also trending on TikTok and Instagram.
@le_bonbon [email protected] dit qu’ils n’ont pas eu le temps de préparer leur défilé de la fashion week ça donne ça : ‘No time to design, no time to explain’ #avavav #fashionweek #ss24 #milanfashionweek2023 #milan ♬ son original – le_bonbon
Roman Empire was undoubtedly the biggest trend to come out of social media for September 2023. With everyone contemplating about what their Roman Empire was, it went viral on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
@idkhowyoufoundmehe got so defensive😭😭 once a week is insane♬ original sound – ashley lance
We interviewed the creator of the viral “What is your Roman Empire” trend for our series About The Trends here:
Viral Social Media Trends August 2023
On social media, August could be considered the month of Tube Girl. Sabrina Bahsoon, AKA Tube Girl, went viral for her 0.5x videos on the London subway, where her confidence was praised as she was able to film in public. And everyone else on social media took inspiration and started to do the same.
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Selena Gomez was getting cozy in the summertime. This picture of Selena wrapped up in a scarf became one of August’s most viral memes on social media, and it was everywhere on Instagram.
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Bama Rush 2023 was all anyone could talk about on TikTok. With pledges sharing their entire sorority rush journey on social media with fans, the Bama Rush 2023 created several viral influencers.
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Bobbi Althoff rose to Internet fame with her unique interviews, one of which featured special guest star, Drake.
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The Madagascar penguins became one of TikTok’s most used templates for the month of August, and created a fun dance challenge that all content creators could participate in.
@janabananathings Replying to @dobi here’s the full version of this dance with orange socks hahaha #fyp #madagascar #madagascarpenguins #fy ♬ original sound – Jana Banana
Doja Cat’s comeback to music with ‘Paint The Town Red’ ended the summer with a viral dance challenge.
@czerone Dance with your friends #hiphop #paintthetownred #inmyfeelings #fy ♬ Paint The Town Red – Doja Cat
Viral Social Media Trends July 2023
Hi Barbie! July was the month of Barbie’s long-awaited release, and everyone on TikTok and Instagram put on their best pink outfits to go and enjoy the show.
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Ice cream so good! Pinkydoll became a viral social media star with her NPC livestreaming, which became TikTok’s biggest social media trend for all of July.
@hola4lalo4 | pinkydoll break outta character | 🥲!! #pinkydoll #gethisviral #foryoupage #foryou #fypシ #fypage #foryoupageofficiall ♬ original sound – gummy bear😍🐻
With Barbie and Oppenheimer’s duo release in theatres, fans on social media couldn’t decide which one out of the two to see. Which is why they created Barbenheimer, a combination of the two blockbusters, that also created a bunch of viral social media memes.
@dirbykay “Now i am become death…” | NO COPYRIGHT INTENDED | #oppenheimer #barbenheimer #barbiemovie2023 #aftereffects #viral #wolyfilms ♬ original sound – Kay
Viral Social Media Trends June 2023
Grimace’s birthday at McDonalds didn’t just bring us a purple shake. It also brought us one of the biggest social media memes of the year, with every content creator from TikTok to Instagram making their own horror skits about the Grimace Shake.
@haleyybaylee Idk why you wanted me to try this… but here we go. Trying the Grimace Shake from McDonalds… HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRIMACE 💕🫶🏻🎈🎂 @Max Goodrich #grimaceshake #happybirthdaygrimace #grimace ♬ original sound – haleyybaylee
Jennifer Lawrence secured her spot as one of June’s best memes with her appearance on Hot Ones.
@interviewswithcelebs the pain in her voice💀 #fyp #foryou #goviral #funny #hotones #jenniferlawrence #firstwefeast ♬ original sound – Celebrity Interviews
Spider-Man: Across The Spiderverse wasn’t only a success at the box office. It also went viral on social media. The ‘canon event’ trend became one of the most popular social media trends in all of June.
@kateelisabethhits a canon event u have to let it happen x♬ Spider-Man 2099 (Miguel O’Hara) – Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – Daniel Pemberton
Kourtney Kardashian announced her pregnancy with a giant ‘Travis, I’m Pregnant’ sign, which social media managers then used as a meme template for their own social media marketing.
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Sprinter by Dave and Central Cee took over TikTok, with influencers using the audio to create viral dance challenges.
@mbitar346 halfway there 🏃♀️ @Emmagcloud #fypシ #sprinter #fru #centralcee #dave ♬ Sprinter Dave x Cench – Spotify Audios
Viral Social Media Trends May 2023
The MET Gala was the talk of the month. Ice Spice made her first MET Gala appearance, Jared Leto walked the red carpet as a cat, and Pedro Pascal showed a little leg in his outfit. Oh, and there was a special guest that showed up uninvited: a cockroach.
@thecut The final guest to walk the red carpet at the Met Gala, this cockroach, but he refused to tell us who he was wearing #metgala #tiktokfashion #nyc ♬ original sound – the cut
Beyonce had a song that was going viral all over TikTok, but it wasn’t one of her own. Someone remixed her makeshift ‘I’m happy to see my husband’ song with tunes by Casa Di and Steve Terrell, which turned into the biggest social media meme of May.
@music.avenue_ I am going to see my husband 🎶👏🏽 #Music #fyp ♬ Beyonce x My Husband x Casa Di Remix – CasaDi
Pedro Pascal eating a sandwich became every social media manager’s favorite CapCut template to use in May. With it being adaptable to every niche, it was a great template for brands to use to hop on a viral social media trend.
@historicstarlounge Pedro always comes in clutch #CapCut #historicstarlounge #visitsacramento #thingstodoinsacramento #sacramentotiktok #sacramentoca #sacramento ♬ New Home by Austin Farwell – GetBy
Viral Social Media Trends April 2023
April was the first month of Barbie promotions, and everywhere you looked on social media, you would see a Barbie poster made from a generator. Every brand and content creator was making their own Barbie posters for their social media pages.
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Coachella 2023 was one for the history books. With headliners like BLACKPINK, Bad Bunny, and Frank Ocean taking the stage, the turnout to the event was insane. Not to mention, every social media platform was flooded with Coachella fit pictures leading up to and during the event.
@lovesjennie3000 let me hear you fucking scream #jennie #coachella #coachella2023 #blackpink #제니 #블랙핑크 @bp_tiktok ♬ original sound – lovesjennie3000
Pinkpantheress and Ice Spice became the Internet’s IT girls with their viral hit, ‘Boy’s a liar pt.2’, which was the most popular song on TikTok and Instagram for the entire month of April.
@jaedengomezz thinkin bout me 🫡 dc: @kennabeann14 ♬ Boy’s a liar Pt. 2 – PinkPantheress & Ice Spice
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo made her solo debut with the catchy song, ‘Flower’, which created a viral dance challenge on TikTok that a ton of KPOP idols were participating in. Even content creators with no affiliation with the KPOP genre were taking part.
@roses_are_rosie 홍보하러왔단다왔단댜 😎🌸 #FLOWERchallenge #JISOO ♬ FLOWER – JISOO
Viral Social Media Trends March 2023
This isn’t just a trend. It’s a song. One of the most popular songs to ever hit social media in all of 2023. FIFTY FIFTY’s ‘Cupid’ became a viral sensation for its upbeat instrumental and stunning vocals, creating viral TikTok dance challenges and becoming the go-to song for lifestyle influencers and their vlogs.
@we_fiftyfifty #FIFTYvod 🐯🦊도 도전한 큐피드 손댄스 챌린지✌️✌️🏹 #FIFTYFIFTY #TheBeginning #Cupid #피프티피프티 #큐피드 #KEENA #SIO #키나 #시오 #큐피드챌린지 #Cupidchallenge #큐피드손댄스 #Cupid손댄스 ♬ Cupid (Twin Ver.) – FIFTY FIFTY
The Oscars took over social media, especially with beloved actors like Ke Huy Quan taking home awards. Spiderman, AKA Andrew Garfield, also trended on social media for his hilarious reactions, which turned into one of the month’s biggest memes on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter (X).
@entertainmenttonight Ke Huy Quan’s #Oscars ♬ original sound – Entertainment Tonight
Family Guy created one of March’s most viral TikTok audios, with the ‘Do you feel bonita?’ scene between Brian and Chris Griffin.
@foxfamilyguy feelin’ bonita #familyguy #familyguyclips #briangriffin #chrisgriffin #bonita ♬ HEYYY WAIT A SECOND – 💥
The Pope put all the fashion influencers to shame with this hilarious A.I generated meme of him in a white coat, which was all the rage on Twitter (X).
Viral Social Media Trends February 2023
Rihanna was the biggest trending topic in the month of February. With her iconic Super Bowl performance and baby bump reveal, everyone on social media was recreating Rihanna’s Super Bowl performance.
@xkervani #rihanna #superbowl #fyp #viral ♬ Dry Me ah deserrrrt him – 𝐕
MSCHF’s Big Red Boots became the go-to must-buy for fashion influencers and content creators all across the creator economy. Not only was it a huge fashion statement, it also became a meme across all social media platforms.
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The TCA cheerleaders dominated the Internet with their viral “What you looking for?” cheer, which became a sound that every brand used to show off their products and services.
@rarebeauty Replying to @lyamisi27 NEW Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil is HERE! Shop all 8 shades now on the @sephora app & @spacenk, online on 3/30 and in-store on 3/31 🙌 @selenagomez #rarebeauty #softpinchtintedlipoil #rarebeautylipoil #lipoil #softpinch #selenagomez ♬ original sound – Coach
Lizzie McAlpine reached insane levels of social media virality with her hit song, ‘ceilings’, particularly the sped up, TikTok audio version. Influencers in every niche were running to her song, lipsyncing to the lyrics.
@juliajoczys the end omg … i cant believe i did that #ceilingslizzymcalpine #ceilings #jamaica #girls ♬ ceilings – Sped Up Version – Lizzy McAlpine
Viral Social Media Trends January 2023
The Golden Globes brought us more than just a few iconic moments. With Jennifer Coolidge’s signature ‘hi’ to The House of The Dragon cast giggling their way onto stage, award show season started off in 2023 with some viral social media moments.
@goldenglobes Bringing the Sicilian resort energy ☀️ and presenting the award for Best Supporting Actor – Television Series, #GoldenGlobes ♬ original sound – Golden Globe Awards
Oops! Got your coping skills! At least, that’s what this viral TikTok trend was claiming. This social media trend was a simple and fun way to hop on a trending sound, while adapting it to whatever your brand’s niche was.
@hanbity🙂♬ original sound – Mikaela ✨
Zoolander may have come out in 2001, but in 2023, it still has relevance. The viral ‘excuse me, bruh’ meme from Zoolander, featuring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, made the rounds on TikTok and Instagram for the entire month of January.
@tvnz.official excuse me bruh 😗 #zoolander ♬ оригинальный звук – volcogot
Stay Up to Date on Every Social Media Trend
At Glewee, we look at every trend across the social media landscape, focusing on trends that create conversation amongst the Gen-Z audience and beyond. Viral social media trends help both brands and creators as they are effective ways to join the conversation and become a part of an ever-growing online moment.
Joining The Trends As A Brand
If you are a brand and are looking to work with influencers to drive brand awareness, sales, and growth through social media then you’ve come to the right place. Create a free account on Glewee’s end-to-end influencer marketing platform and work with influencers to incorporate your brand, product, or service into every social media trend to be at the helm of the conversation in real time. To create your account, simply visit app.glewee.io and sign up for free today!
Joining The Trends As A Creator
If you are a creator and are looking to find new trends to participate in, follow Glewee on Instagram Here and TikTok Here and make sure to download Glewee Here to join in on new paid brand deals daily!
