From ‘brat’ to ‘dreamcore’: 2024 in buzzwords

Ask any Gen Z how their summer went, and the chances are they’ll respond with one word: “Brat.” Such is the cultural pull of internet-driven language, propelled by the viral power of platforms like TikTok and Xiaohongshu. This year, online buzzwords became mainstream fixtures in the Gen Z and Gen Alpha lexicon, with phrases like Charli XCX’s “Brat summer” and the Chinglish term “you swan, he frog” dominating social feeds. So significant was the trend that the Collins English Dictionary named “Brat” its word of the year. The influence of internet slang extended beyond mere conversations. This year, online buzzwords heavily shaped the fashion marketing strategies of brands like Ssense, Loewe, and Marc Jacobs, which embraced catchphrases to ignite hype and engage younger audiences. But which viral buzzwords made the biggest splash across the West and in China, and what impact have they left? Brat summer Now confirmed as the word of the year, Charli XCX’s one-syllable catchphrase “Brat” defined the summer of 2024 — so much so that the internet coined the term “Brat summer” to underscore its seismic impact on fashion, behavior, and the pop universe at large. On TikTok, there are over 15.8 million posts dedicated to “Brat summer,” while Instagram has over 2.6 million posts referencing the hashtag “bratsummer.” The term, accompanied by its lime-green aesthetic, also managed to crack China — a feat for Western-driven trends. On Xiaohongshu, the hashtag “brat” currently stands at 25 million views. Very demure, very mindful In August, a new buzzphrase knocked “Brat summer” off its throne. “Very demure, very mindful,” the term coined by American content creator Jools Lebron, made waves across the internet after Lebron’s satirical take on modesty and femininity resonated with viewers. The expression gained traction as more viewers began to put their own spin on the trend, while a remixed club version of the catchphrase ended up as a trending track on TikTok. TikTok users have created over 110 million posts using “I’m very demure,” with the phrase becoming a common expression among Gen Z, both online and offline. Lebron’s impact didn’t go unnoticed by luxury’s power-players — in September, the creator sat front row at Bottega Veneta’s SS25 show, as fashion aligns itself with the meme-driven corner of the internet. You swan, he frog At the same time as “very demure, very mindful” was causing a stir in the West, a new catchphrase caught the attention of netizens in China. The buzzphrase “you swan, he frog” went viral after Ukrainian blogger @YourKris shared a photo with her boyfriend on the app. While Chinese Gen Zs flooded the post’s comments with “Chinglish” phrases, such as “men all are feet of big pig” and “one boyfriend, always sad. Ten boyfriends, no time to sad,” users in the East and West latched onto a standout comment: “You pretty, he ugly; u swan, he frog.” The expression, describing a relationship mismatch between a “swan” (attractive) person and a “frog” (less so), quickly went global, with audiences applying it to everything from the Kamala Harris-Donald Trump race to Bridgerton’s Penelope and Colin. Dreamcore Nostalgia is fueling one of China’s biggest internet trends of the year: “Dreamcore.” This lo-fi, “hopecore”-inspired aesthetic, popular among those born between 1995 and 2005, has taken over platforms like Xiaohongshu, showcasing blurred CCD photos and compressed JPG images that evoke a surreal, emotional resonance. Capturing the evolving urban landscapes of early 2000s China — think hotel restaurants, cage windows, plastic chairs in open theaters, and grandparents’ homes — the buzzword has emerged as a poignant escape for netizens navigating adulthood and the rat race. So far, the hashtag “Chinese-style dreamcore” (中式梦核) has racked up over 150 million views on Xiaohongshu. But while the catchphrase stems from childhood memories, users have since turned to AI apps, such as ReCraft, to recreate that spatial liminality and eerie familiarity that “dreamcore” is built on. City, not City (city不city啊) If you rode a bike down Shanghai’s Anfu Road with an iced latte this year, then you were extremely “city” (非常city呀). A participant in China’s vanlife trend? Then you’re not city (不city), says Shanghai-based American content creator Paul Mike Ashton (@bao_bao_xiong_). In July, the influencer coined the term “city, not city” (city不city啊) to describe whether someone, or something is urban, on-trend, and sophisticated — or not. The buzzword, which is often pronounced in a punchy, over-exaggerated manner, made so much noise across Chinese social media that China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stepped in to share their appreciation for the trend during a press conference on July 4. To date, the phrase has accumulated over 200 million views and 680,000 discussions on Xiaohongshu alone. Tradwife The term “tradwife” has been circulating the internet for some years now, but the meteoric rise of influencer Nara Smith brought the buzzword firmly into the cultural spotlight in 2024. Buoyed by trends such as “cottagecore” and the raw milk debate, the TikTok-friendly aesthetic, which celebrates homesteading, milkmaids and “the feminine urge to take care of your husband” has surged, with creators such as Hannah Neeleman (aka Ballerina Farm) and Smith leading the movement. On TikTok, there are currently over 113 million posts under the phrase “tradwife.” Despite the trend’s sinister undertones about gender equality and roots in right-wing ideology, Smith in particular has brought the “tradwife” into the luxury sphere; this year, the creator inked a deal with Marc Jacobs, and was spotted cooking in Ferragamo, Chanel, and Schiaparelli. The “tradwife” was also a fixture at fashion week this year, attending shows such as Ralph Lauren and Burberry. Underconsumption-core Pushing back against the internet’s typical consumption-driven crazes, “underconsumption-core” gained traction this year as spending fatigue set in among Gen Z. Encouraging people to maximize the utility of existing goods, there are currently 38.4 million posts dedicated to “underconsumption-core,” showing individuals following minimal skincare routines, owning secondhand furniture, and wearing the same pair of sneakers daily. The trend has hit China, too. On Xiaohongshu, hashtags such as “minimalismlife” (#极简生活) and #lowdesirelife, which draw comparisons to “underconsumption-core,” are racking up tens of millions of views as consumers adopt a more conscious and simple approach to spending. Like on TikTok, these videos often show creators sharing hacks on how to save money by repurposing existing products and buying only what they need.

From ‘brat’ to ‘dreamcore’: 2024 in buzzwords

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Published December 23, 2024

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From ‘brat’ to ‘dreamcore’: 2024 in buzzwords