The year 2020 has probably been one of the most unforgettable years in history, or at least for this generation. There have been a lot of events that shocked the world and triggered changes of unimaginable scale.
To give you a quick summary of what has been hot and bop in the online world for this year, here are some key facts for you.
Top Trending Topics of 2020
Unsurprisingly, “COVID-19” is the most search keyword of 2020. Since the beginning of the pandemic in January, Google recorded a whopping 60 million average monthly searches. In the month of March, the searches even went up to 101 million.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement was also a trending topic. In fact, 20% of the most trending searches were related to it, with inquiries on “George Floyd” going up by 41.3 million % in May.
Other than the coronavirus pandemic, the US election is another trending news topic. Election- and politics-related events and stories comprise 40% of the trending news topics. Other top stories include the Australian bushfires, Brexit, Beirut explosion, the SpaceX’s Crew Dragon launch, and other tragedies from different countries around the world.
2020 also marked a significant growth of e-commerce, with many people buying essentials and other goods online. In fact, searches with “buy online” almost doubled in March. Most popular e-commerce websites and brands include Amazon, eBay, Rakuten, Apple, Samsung, AliExpress, Walmart, and Etsy.
Many small businesses also saw a significant increase in online transactions. Unsurprisingly, there was also a growth in the demand for affordable SEO services in the Philippines.
Famous Faces of 2020
The year has also been a year of many elections in different nations. And with the ongoing pandemic, more people have been curious as to how world leaders are managing the crisis. This has lead to a 200% growth on searches for politicians’ names compared to 2019.
Half of the most-Googled list is composed of names of US politicians. Inquiries for the US President Donald Trump went up by 60% while that of the new President-elect Joe Biden grew by 9,545%. Other key names include US Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
This year also marked the rise to popularity of social media stars. TikTok superstars Addison Rae, Dixie D’Amelio, and Charlie D’Amelio were among the top three fastest-trending celebrities.
Hollywood actor Tom Hanks also made it to the trending personalities when it was reported that he contracted COVID-19 in March.
Hottest Headliners of 2020
As many governments implemented lockdowns, a lot of people looked for different means to entertain themselves at home. As a result, entertainment channels and streaming platforms grew more than ever. Between February and March when lockdown restrictions were set in place, there has been 72% increase in average search volume in streaming services. Netflix was hailed the most popular streaming service. Its average monthly search volume is 671% higher than the second-placer Amazon Prime Video.
As for television shows, there was a significant spike in the search volume for period drama The Queen’s Gambit and the documentary series Indian Matchmaking. The list of trending series was dominated by Netflix Originals, with its series comprising 73% of the list. Other popular series include “Julie and the Phantoms,” “P Valley,” “Teenage Bounty Hunters,” “Emily in Paris,” “Tiger King,” and “Too Hot to Handle.”
When it comes to music, streaming giant Spotify has been the leader of the pack. In fact it is 91% higher than the second most popular music platform Soundcloud in terms of average monthly searches. In general, there was a 16% increase in the searches in different music platforms. Aside from Spotify and Soundcloud, other chart-topper streaming services include YouTube Music, Deezer, Amazon Music, Gaana, IHeartRadio, and Apple Music.
As for music albums, half of the top trending albums were released in mid-March when much of the world was set on lockdown. “Colores” by J Balvin was a massive hit, with 1.5 million monthly searches on March. Selena Gomez’s “Rare” and Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” were tied at second place. “After Hours” by The Weeknd went on third place among most searched album.
“Map of the Soul 7” by popular K-pop group BTS has the highest average monthly search volume in 2020. The boy group is known as the first Korean music act to make it to the US Billboard Top 100 charts with the immensely famous song “Dynamite.” They are also credited as the first K-pop group to have a Grammy nomination.
Other notable music album releases include “Chromatica” by Lady Gaga, “Changes” by Justin Bieber, “Music to Be Murdered By” by Eminem, “The Album” by Blackpink, and “Positions” by Ariana Grande.
It’s a wrap!
2020 was definitely a year to remember due to the many changes the coronavirus pandemic has brought about. It was a year of tragedies and struggles for many people, but it has also been a witness to mankind’s incredible resilience and ability to adjust and adapt. It was a year of learning more about one’s self and the importance of health and family. Despite the restrictions, people developed new skills, discovered new passions, and developed better appreciation of the things they usually take for granted.
Here’s to a happier, healthier, and more prosperous 2021!
