YouTube April 2022 Trends

Lots of things happened this month but let’s start with something incredible. Baker Boy’s cover of Blur’s ‘Song 2’ for Like A Version was unequivocally righteous. So too, the worlds-colliding cameo of Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker at a Wiggles concert. Lindsay Lohan broke down some of her most fetch iconic looks for Vogue, Netflix caused us to hyperventilate with the season four trailer for Stranger Things and HBO Max released the first ten minute scene from The Batman. This content cookie crumb approach, by the way, is like the film version of putting the entire pilot episode of a show on YouTube which HBO Max has done in the past and which Apple Korea recently did with the pilot episode of Pachinko.

Elsewhere, Primitive Technology (who you may remember from My Pick of the Month in March) walked so dudes in Europe could run. Take Vadim In The Wild for example, a Ukrainian creator whose 34 minute video on the construction of an underground survival shelter notched a cool 20m views this month. Closer to home, Karl Stefanovic extended his highlights reel. An excerpt from this Chicken Shop Date interview with Louis Theroux - converted into an unironic banger with assistance from autotune and a backing track - has become one of the most viral sounds on TikTok. Over on Reddit, the memes meets nationalism pixel war of r/place drew in some of the biggest gaming creators in the world including jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL and Mizkif. No idea what I’m talking about? Check out Lud’s the entire history of r/place, i guess (a riff on Bill Wurtz’s history of the entire world, i guess) or this cool timelapse from Reddit itself.

Finally, we can’t talk about April without talking about the real life soap opera that is the $50m defamation case Johnny Depp has brought against ex-wife Amber Heard. Now THIS is reality television. The ongoing trial is being livestreamed on Law & Crime Network and generating eye-watering views in the process. Such is the public interest in this case that the likes of Deadline Hollywood are publishing articles titled How To Watch The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard Trial like its a pay-per-view special. Already, the trial has yielded some ~iconic~ moments, including Depp’s testimony of Heard shitting the bed (not a figure of speech), a replay of an IDGAF witness giving testimony while vaping and driving and Heard’s attorney objecting to their own question. But at the core of this is a potentially grave case of abuse and manipulation. Testimony that Heard faked PTSD and lied about donating her divorce settlement to the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), not to mention audio recordings of her admitting abuse are deeply troubling. The shoulder content this trial has generated includes supercuts on YouTube main and excerpts on Shorts as well as in depth analysis from legal and body language experts. LegalBytes in particular is livestream concurrently with the trial, offering an attorney’s perspective on each team’s approach.

Trending Shorts

1. Those Moments of Panic Between Online Games. - 21.7M views, channel: Daniel LaBelle
2. I used the DARKEST Paint in the WORLD. - 7M views, channel: Mrwhosetheboss Shorts
3. Horror Movies Vs. Reality #Shorts - 4.6M views, channel: Luke Davidson
4. The Steak Monster - 4.4M views, channel: Max the Meat Guy
5. The Apple Store in New York | Jack Whitehall | #Shorts - 2.6M views, channel: Jack Whitehall

Creators on the Rise

CafeSandy makes beautiful cafe-style drinks, all of which can be re-created at home following her mesmerising videos and simple recipes. Her Shorts, sprinkled with ASMR, are delightful to watch. Sandy showcases various types of drinks, such as creamy mango smoothies, coffee with tea ice cubes and pink sunrise soda. The wide variety of ingredients and flavours are enough to stimulate the taste buds and inspire cafe lovers to get crafty in the kitchen.

Swag on the Beat is a Melbourne-based comedy trio known for their comedic takes on Australian life. Their witty skits draw upon quintessential hallmarks of Australian culture, from local slang and nicknames to tradies (Aussie for ‘tradespeople’) and eshays (slang for an Aussie ‘lad’). With a knack for topical humour, Swag on the Beat can turn any situation into a laugh, including the struggle to purchase a rapid antigen test.

The trio has also recently started a YouTube mini-series called “Chats on the Beat”. Each episode interviews a different local artist, discussing all things related to music, live performances, and personal insights into the artists’ lives.

Miss Lady Lace is a pin-up girl from Perth, Western Australia who lives in a world of vintage glamour and burlesque dancing. She is well known for her scarlet hair, bright blue eyes, and a heart full of passion for everything she does. Lace features everything from her unique lifestyle (like her favourite smoothie) and her burlesque performances, to fashion, hairstyle, and even her cute dog Noodle.

Spotlight

Houses matter in Australia. The Great Australian Dream has long entailed home ownership and contemporary Aussie architecture’s ethos of honest materials, indoor-outdoor living and responding to nature has recently gained recognition as one of the most desirable in the world. We have some of the most gorgeous and thoughtfully designed houses in the world and some of the most stunning locations in which to situate them. It’s no wonder then, that interiors and architecture content is one of the most popular local verticals on YouTube.

Some of my favourites include Living Big In A Tiny House (technically a Kiwi channel), Simple Dwelling and Never Too Small, all of which prove that young people’s attitudes towards the “dream home” are shifting away from space and suburbia and toward functionality, urban immersion and a modest environmental footprint.

On the other hand, if you want to feel straight up poor just watch an episode of The Local Project. The video offshoot of the Australian design and architecture magazine details some of the most ambitious and straight up jaw dropping builds in Australia. This is Grand Designs but grander. Endemic channels like Hunting For George achieve a similar sense of awe with walkthrough house tours that reveal every nook and cranny of some of the most beautiful homes in the country. Three Birds Renovation meanwhile, is a television-calibre renovation show that is published for free on YouTube and features room-by-room breakdowns of luxe renovation projects. Ah, all we need now is to win the lottery.

*Each month I spill a little digital ink on what's going on in this little corner of the internet. Pop by each month to read more about what’s happening on YouTube, and discover incredible new content and Australian creators.