Since our last check in with you, feeds have only gotten heavier. With the world feeling unrelenting, it can be hard to even consider lightness. Yet even in the scroll, there are glimpses of people finding comfort, hope, and connection. Moments that distract, delight, or remind us of the dynamics shaping our shared culture. In this edition, we’re pausing to notice those corners, not to dismiss what’s happening, but to touch grass, reflect, and maybe take a breath.
What’s Gone Viral? 🔥
Just want the headlines? Here’s a peek at some of the bigger viral or rising convos before we dive into trends and the more… unexpected.
Chappell G-O-T-T-O-G-O from Rio... According to Mayor
While in São Paulo, Chappell Roan was involved in a viral hotel incident with Jude Law’s daughter and footballer Jorginho’s stepdaughter. She was accused of asking security to intervene after being approached by the young fan. She later denied even noticing the fan even approaching her table, yet scrutiny persisted. Rio’s mayor even banned her from performing at Todo Mundo as long as he is in office. Roan has long set firm boundaries around fans and paparazzi, calling unwanted approaches “creepy” and “invasive”. Beyond the drama, this story shows how online discourse and perception can escalate before context is clear.
Korean Roots, Global Reach: BTS Returns
BTS returned to Seoul with 104,000-strong audience, debuting eight songs from their new album Arirang. Like Bad Bunny’s recent release, the group’s work draws from shared cultural references – Korean folk motifs, global pop, and genre experimentation – creating music that feeds collective experiences and reinforces fandom as a space of cultural participation. Their comeback cements a shift in the music industry where artists seem to increasingly anchor their craft in communal touchstones, pushing for concerts and albums to be shared cultural events rather than strictly entertainment.
Have you checked on the Internet’s Tamagotchi of late?
Growing up with social means you can always rewind to the online spaces that made you feel safe. For some, that's the early 20s TikTok era of this fair century. Recently, Charli D’Amelio returned to the short, hyper-energetic dances that launched her (the kind that’s so lively it’s practically cardio). Under those videos, fans might comment things like, “She always shows up when the world feels heavy.” This week, a creator bestowed upon Charli the title of “the Internet’s Tamagotchi”, someone you check in on, and watch grow. A phenomenon Charli herself has recognised in a video that's now reached 1.5M views, fuelling it even further and elevated it to inside joke status.
Trending Format Alert 🚨
Swipe through any feed lately and you’ve probably seen it: the “list trend.”
Simple, scrollable carousels where people lay out their priorities before and after a moment – big or small, funny or serious.
You could land on a sarcastic take on daily life or a heartfelt reflection around a major life event. These posts show how a few lines of text can convey personality, experience, and emotion in a single glance. According to social media experts (us, we're the experts), the trend works because a simple tool for storytelling and invites conversations around shared experiences. “This format gives people a structured way to express themselves while inviting conversation” says a digital culture analyst (also us). It’s a stage for personality, vulnerability, and humour, in one swipeable format.
NGOs and socially conscious brands can use this trend to show shifting priorities, highlight milestones, or show how moments changed their trajectory.
Brand Champion 🏆
We’re often asked how we pick our brand champions (no one really asked). The answer is simple…
When the brand's content lands on our radar, it has to spark the following questions:
1- What was the audience response?
2- What need or insight is this responding to?
3- Why didn’t I think of that?
4- [optional] Who the hell runs this account and how did they convince legal and senior management?
It’s fair to say the Ealing Council accounts check all these boxes. Culture can’t be imitated; it has to be lived and understood. And the content they share proves it: native platform fluency, an instinct for online codes, and digital proof that creative freedom can spark engagement, delight, and unhinged brilliance. In formats that look like they were made using PowerPoint effects, they create moments that make you laugh, cringe, and double-tap all at once, or dare I say... even ideas that make the internet slightly better one post at a time.
More Industry News 🗞️
Looking for a specific industry or topic? Say no more. Here’s a selection of a few bonus newsworthy moments and trends, organised into categories, ‘Type A’ style.
Sports & Events 🥇
Adidas unveils World Cup kits
Trent snubbed by England, now benched by Madrid
Travis Kelce signs three-year Chiefs deal
Fashion & Lifestyle 💅
Miranda would have hated the Devil Wears Prada merch
Sneakerinas are the shoes of spring
The allure of "divorce diamonds"explained
Food & Drinks 🍹
KFC enters its pickle mania era
London bars sidestep Margot Robbie's gin
From soup to sip: Bone broth cocktails rise
Cinema & Entertainment 🎬
SNL UK: Early days, fair start
Bridgerton’s next romance is locked in
Wands up! A new Harry Potter trailer is coming
Trend Alert 🚨
Long gone are the days when fruits and veggies were just for the produce aisle. Now they’re on an AI Love Island, getting freaky and flirty like nobody’s watching.
The TikTok account, launched March 13, 2026, has racked up 3.1 million followers in just 9 days, averaging 15 million views per video. Whoever said, “The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit,” clearly wasn’t keeping up with AI fruit accounts. People are eating it up! Escapism or a sign of content-quality doom? [Insert presenter’s dramatic pause]… we’ll leave that to you!
We’ll keep pondering that while keeping an eye on where the feeds take us. In the meantime: eat your five a day, stay hydrated and mind the gap xx
Live, laugh, love,
The Culture Lab team 💚
