5 of the top Twitter moments and trends of the year and what they say about 2021, according to the social platform (2024)

5 of the top Twitter moments and trends of the year and what they say about 2021, according to the social platform (1)

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  • Twitter compiled its most popular tweets, hashtags, and topics of 2021.
  • Many of the top tweets and trends reflect current news and events from the year.
  • Some of this year's most popular tweets came from notable figures including President Joe Biden and K-Pop group BTS.

5 of the top Twitter moments and trends of the year and what they say about 2021, according to the social platform (2)

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5 of the top Twitter moments and trends of the year and what they say about 2021, according to the social platform (4)

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As 2021 comes to a close, we have a lot to reflect on — especially when it comes to viral social media moments.

To commemorate an eventful year, Twitter compiled 2021's most popular tweets, hashtags, and topics across the platform. Some of this year's most popular tweets may not be a surprise to avid internet users, but in true 2021 fashion, a few unexpected posts and trends topped Twitter this year.

Although there are parts of this year we may wish to forget, users never stopped liking, retweeting, and sharing their thoughts and quips. Here are the top Twitter trends of the year, according to the company.

President Joe Biden had the most liked Tweet of 2021

—Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 20, 2021

On the morning of his inauguration, President Joe Biden tweeted "It's a new day in America," ushering in role as the 46th president of the United States. More than four million people liked it.

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The tweet came as Biden — who beat out former President Donald Trump in the tumultuous 2020 presidential election in November — prepared for inaugural ceremonies that spanned a five-day period with multiple virtual and socially-distanced in-person celebrations.

After Biden's victory, and weeks before his inauguration, Trump claimed the election was fraudulentand encouraged his supporters to "stop the steal" at a rally on January 6 that preceded the Capitol insurrection. Trump's voter fraud claims have since been debunked.

The tweet with the most RTs this year was a message from BTS

—방탄소년단 (@BTS_twt) March 30, 2021

A tweet from the popular K-Pop group BTS encouraging its followers to #StopAsianHate was themost retweeted post of 2021, with over a million retweets, according to Twitter.

BTS currently has more than 42 million followers on Twitter worldwide and fans of the group, known as the A.R.M.Y., were also responsible for making #BTS the top hashtag of 2021, Twitter reported.

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The BTS tweet came a few weeks after a 21-year-old white man shot and killed eight people, six of whom were Asian women, at three spas in the greater Atlanta, Georgia area.

Violence and hate against Asian Americans skyrocketed during the first year of the pandemic. In response, people took to social media using the hashtag #StopAsianHate to spread awareness of the rampant discrimination against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in the US.

Using the hashtag, notable figures and groups like BTS shared their own experiences with racism, calling on followers to stand up and speak out for groups who are vulnerable to discrimination and violence. "We cannot put into words the pain of becoming the subjects of hatred and violence," BTS tweeted. "You, and I we all have the right to be respected. We will stand together."

In May, President Biden signed a bill into law that addressed the spike in anti-Asian hate crimes over the past year. The COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act directs the Department of Justice to expedite the review of coronavirus-related hate crimes, provide guidance to state and local governments to improve public reporting on hate crimes, and raises awareness about hate crimes during the public-health crisis, Insider reported.

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Everyone was talking about trending TV shows this year

—Twitter Data (@TwitterData) December 9, 2021

Staying at home and quarantining during the pandemic changed the way we watchand discuss television shows.

Reality TV was one of the most tweeted about television genres this year, according to Twitter.The reality competition show Big Brother Brasil was the most tweeted about show this year.

Meanwhile, Squid Game, the Netflix series that took the internet by storm, was the third most discussed TV show worldwide, Twitter reported. Squid Game generated nearly $900 million for Netflix and became the streaming platform's most-watched original show, with over 132 million people watching at least two minutes.

The Olympics was Twitter's top sporting event

—#Tokyo2020 (@Tokyo2020) September 5, 2021

After the 2020 Tokyo summer Olympics were originally postponed because of the pandemic, the 2021 games quickly took over Twitter to become the most discussed sports match and event worldwide, according to the social media platform.

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The Tokyo games became the most expensive summer games in Olympic history,according to Insider.The games cost more than $26 billion to produce this year.

Twitter's top emojis helped users share their feelings

—Twitter Data (@TwitterData) December 9, 2021

The "crying face" and "tears of joy" emoji were the top-used emojis on Twitter this year, the social media platform reported.

The laugh-cry emoji, or 😂, was also the most-used emoji in the world this year, according to the Unicode Consortium, the organization responsible for encoding universal characters for the web.

In a study published earlier this month, Unicode reported that 92% of the online population worldwide use emojis, noting that the laugh-cry emoji accounts for 5% of that use. The emoji has been the most popular icon on iOS and macOS devices since at least 2017, according to the data.

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The 10 most-used emojis worldwide this year included: 😂 ❤️ 🤣 👍 😭 🙏 😘 🥰 😍 😊 .

5 of the top Twitter moments and trends of the year and what they say about 2021, according to the social platform (2024)

FAQs

What are the top 5 trends on Twitter? ›

Most Tweeted
1#Paris2024263.9K tweets
2#jjk264141.3K tweets
3#ViralVideo121.2K tweets
4#LaCasaDeLosFamososMx120.5K tweets
5#March2Parliament117.0K tweets
5 more rows

What was trending on twitter in 2021? ›

The tweet with the most RTs this year was a message from BTS

BTS currently has more than 42 million followers on Twitter worldwide and fans of the group, known as the A.R.M.Y., were also responsible for making #BTS the top hashtag of 2021, Twitter reported.

What was Twitter moments? ›

Moments let you tell a story that goes beyond one Tweet and highlights different perspectives. Create a Moment by developing collections of notable Tweet conversations and live commentary, or weaving together Tweets that tell a powerful or interesting message.

Where are the Twitter trends? ›

It's the magnifying glass at the top of the menu bar on the left-hand side. Click the Trending tab. It's the second tab at the top of the page. This displays a list of the current topics and hashtags that are trending on Twitter.

Who are the top 5 most popular Twitter? ›

Notable figures such as Elon Musk, Barack Obama, Cristiano Ronaldo, Justin Bieber, Rihanna, Katy Perry and Narendra Modi are at the top of the list, each with over 100 million followers. As of July 2024, only seven accounts have surpassed this milestone.

What is a trend on Twitter? ›

Trending is when a specific topic, hashtag, or keyword becomes popular and receives more visibility and engagement than usual on a given social media platform, like Twitter, TikTok, or Instagram.

What was trending on Twitter in 2018? ›

In 2018 movies, it was Black Panther that sparked the most tweets, beating out The Avengers: Infinity War. And for TV shows, Saturday Night Live came out on top, beating the return of Roseanne (and the ensuing controversy around comments made by star Rosie O'Donnell).

What is the most liked tweet on Twitter 2021? ›

It's a new day in America. President-elect Joe Biden posted this tweet on the day of his inauguration as the 46th president of the United States. According to Twitter's year-end review, it was the most-liked tweet of 2021.

How much did Twitter generate in 2021? ›

For the fiscal year 2021, the last fiscal before Twitter was taken private, the company reported a loss of 221 million, with an annual revenue of $5.1 billion. Since its IPO, Twitter made profit in only two of the eight years.

How did Twitter impact society? ›

Celebrity Influence and Social Movements:

Twitter's ability to connect people directly with public figures and celebrities helped redefine the concept of accessibility. Celebrities, politicians, and influencers began leveraging the platform to share their thoughts, engage with fans, and amplify their causes.

What is Twitter famous for? ›

Twitter is a free social networking site where users broadcast short posts known as tweets. These tweets can contain text, videos, photos or links. To access Twitter, users need an internet connection or smart phone to use the app or website, Twitter.com.

Which is the biggest trend in Twitter? ›

Most Tweeted
1#CarinaPH315.2K tweets
2#Paris2024260.6K tweets
3#CasablancaXFreen170.9K tweets
4#สุขสันต์วันเกิดนะนุนิว152.4K tweets
5#ปาฏิหาริย์รักร้อยปีEP5117.0K tweets
5 more rows

How do you get top trends on Twitter? ›

To trend on Twitter, you need to utilize the power of hashtags effectively. Research trending hashtags within your niche or industry and incorporate them into your tweets where relevant. But remember, don't overdo it – using too many hashtags can make your tweets look spammy and turn off potential followers.

How does Twitter rank trends? ›

Type of content. The Twitter (X) algorithm favors certain types of content over others, especially anything with rich media like GIFs, images, videos or polls. Posts with visual content generally drive more engagement, which is why they get a higher score in the ranking system.

What is the most searched thing on Twitter? ›

Top Keywords For Twitter
KeywordSearch Volume
twitter151,000,000
twitter search11,100,000
elon musk twitter1,830,000
twitter trending1,220,000
241 more rows

What's trending in America right now on Twitter? ›

Twitter Trends - United States
RankTrending Topic / HashtagTweet Volume
1.CrowdStrike 353.7k Tweets353.7k
5.#CityCinderella 40.3k Tweets40.3k
6.$CRWD Under 10k TweetsUnder 10k
7.BSOD 53.9k Tweets53.9k
49 more rows

What are the most followed topics on Twitter? ›

The topics that trend the most on Twitter vary from day to day, but some of the most popular topics tend to include news, politics, sports, entertainment, celebrities, and current events. What is a trending topic on Twitter nowadays?

What are trending hashtags? ›

The 20 most popular Instagram hashtags 2024:
  • #photography.
  • #love.
  • #art.
  • #fashion.
  • #music.
  • #instagood.
  • #photooftheday.
  • #reels.
Jul 17, 2024

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