A lot has happened in 2016. Beyond all of the usual festivals and events, various artists have risen to prominence to dominate the mainstream media news cycle – we’re looking at you, Marshmello & The Chainsmokers.
As the year draws to a close, we’re looking back at the biggest news stories of the year. We’ve considered engagement on Facebook and Twitter, as well as how many people actually clicked through to read the article.
#1 Marshmello’s Identity Is Revealed
Toward the beginning of the year, Marshmello’s identity was a much bigger hot-button issue than it is now, but this article on his identity still draws considerable traffic from Google searches every week. After a birthday shoutout from Skrillex, as well as some ripped jeans, it became clear who was behind the mask.
In the end though, Marshmello’s brand is bigger than anyone under the mask, and he’s gone on to be one of the biggest breakout artists of the year.
#2 Burning Man Is Going To The Netherlands
This one went viral in the European groups on Facebook, earning it hundreds of thousands of clicks on the social platform.
Burning Man Netherlands is an affiliate of Burning Man Project and will feature a new event in the beautiful Veluwe from July 29-31.
#3 There’s a month-long rave in the Black Sea and it’s crazy
VICE did a story on Kazantip, the month-long rave in the Black Sea. With over 80,000 people coming and going over a period of six weeks, with very little government oversight and a “do whatever you want attitude” – leading to copious drinking, drugs, and massive orgies – this festival is one of the craziest parties ever.
#4 Shipsomnia in 2017 is going to be ridiculously massive
In part due to us calling it the “Tomorrowland of the Seas,” and in part due to a video that went incredibly viral, Shipsomnia’s 2017 sailing became our #4 biggest story of the year. Shipsomnia’s Tale Of The Kraken will take port in the Mediterranean oases of Barcelona, Ibiza, and Séte for a five-day cruise that you’ll never forget.
#5 The Chainsmokers revealed they were in the studio with Coldplay’s Chris Martin
Having already released “Closer” with Halsey, The Chainsmokers were the talk of the town in September. Not content to just rest on their laurels, it was leaked that they were in the studio with none other than Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay.
It’s still not sure when this collaboration will come out, if ever, but it definitely sent fans into a tizzy, earning one of our biggest Facebook trends of the year.
#6 Daft Punk & The Weeknd dropped their collaboration, “Starboy”
When we broke the story that The Weeknd & Daft Punk were in the studio together, it was a great day. However, even that couldn’t live up to the sheer might of a new song featuring Daft Punk, the inimitable “Starboy.” The internet went crazy when Daft Punk dropped their first new music since 2013’s Random Access Memories, and it hasn’t stopped yet.
#7 Red Bull + Vodka has the same effect as cocaine
Our #7 most popular article of the year is also our #1 most misunderstood. According to the new study from researchers at Purdue University, the mixture “has the same effect on the brain as taking cocaine.” Unfortunately, many people interpreted our title to be referring to physical effects, which caused much confusion in our comments section.
Thankfully, moderation is still key and the effects only begin to appear after repeated use.
#8 Marshmello and Tiësto troll EDC Las Vegas
Watching this year’s EDC Las Vegas live stream was a lot of fun. Between the plethora of huge acts, there was one moment that literally left us on the floor laughing. At the end of Marshmello’s debut set at cosmicMEADOW, he comes back onto the stage and takes off his mask, revealing… Tiësto!
The troll was conceived at EDC itself, which you can see here.
#9 Fan-made Daft Punk helmets take Facebook by storm
Daft Punk fans are among the most devoted of any group in electronic music, so it’s not surprising that one would take their iconic helmets to the limit, recreating them in excruciating (and functional) detail.
“The designing, building and programming of the GM01 unit took more than one year of daily work. Finishing it with the desired quality was a huge odyssey.”
The helmet packs WiFi capability, motion audio interaction, and 210 RGB LEDs. This post also received a #1 trend on Facebook when it came out.
#10 Tigerlily responds to a leaked nude video
In March, Tigerlily’s privacy was invaded when someone hacked her Snapchat and stole and original nude video of her; the video that went up on Snapchat had emojis covering her sensitive areas, but the code was removed in the leaked video.
Tigerlily turned this situation into a positive, and began raising money to support victims of online bullying.
Image via Rukes.com
