TikTok’s most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song, Netflix and Paramount are in a bidding war for Warner Bros., and Hollywood might be having a “God moment.” But first:
Song of the Week – “Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande
“Santa Tell Me” by Ariana Grande is in the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 this week. Although the song was released in 2014, it continues to climb the charts every December. Earlier this month, the team at Billboard named it their #2 Christmas song of the 21st century, only to be beaten out by “Underneath the Tree” by Kelly Clarkson. Since Wicked: For Good was released late in November, expect this holiday season to be peak Grande—whether it’s a Broadway ballad or a whistle tone from her own pop music.
And now for our three conversations..
1. “Pretty Little Baby”
What it is: TikTok’s most-used sound in 2025 was a 63-year-old love song from the late Connie Francis called “Pretty Little Baby.”
Why it’s surprising: According to a press release from TikTok, the song was used over 28.4 million times as the soundtrack for “wholesome videos featuring family, pets, relationships and flowers,” which altogether netted over 68.6 billion video views. Even though this song made no serious impact on Spotify or Apple Music’s streaming charts, social media platforms remain uniquely able to launch completely unexpected tunes (or at least portions of them) well into the mainstream. Shortly before her passing in July of this year, the 87-year-old Connie Francis posted her first-ever TikTok, saying, “To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is captivating new generations of audiences is truly overwhelming for me. Thank you, TikTok.”
Continue the conversation: What do you think the prevalence of this song says about how people use TikTok?
2. Netflix and Bid
What it is: Late last week, Netflix announced it struck an $82.7 billion deal to purchase most of Warner Bros., owners of popular franchises like Dune, Harry Potter, and DC Comics. A few days later, Paramount made a hostile counter-bid of over $100 billion to purchase all of Warner Bros.
Why it matters to teens: This is a battle for the future of entertainment. Netflix dominates the streaming world, with a reported 302 million subscribers, outpacing all competitors, including Paramount. Netflix says it sees YouTube (the true juggernaut in streaming) as its competition, not movie theaters. Paramount, which is aggressively fighting the Netflix/Warner Bros. deal, represents a more traditional approach to entertainment. Streaming is here to stay, no matter who wins this bidding war, but if Netflix wins, our culture could move even further away from the theater being the default first place to see new movies.
Continue the conversation: What do you think will be the most common way to watch a new movie in ten years?
3. Screen Heaven
What it is: Hollywood is having what some are calling a “God moment,” and it’s starting to look less like a trend and more like a full-on cultural shift.
Why it’s exciting: The New York Times calls what’s happening a “spiritual vibe shift,” citing examples from the big screen and late-night TV. A 2022 clip showing Dua Lipa asking Stephen Colbert how Catholicism shapes his comedy keeps circulating. Jimmy Kimmel said to his secular audience, live on the air, that he follows the “teachings of Jesus.” Big-name celebrities, including Mark Wahlberg, Chris Pratt, Gwen Stefani, Liam Neeson, and Jonathan Roumie, are inviting the audience to pray with them on the Hallow app. Movies like Eternity and even the newest Knives Out installment are treating belief and doubt with surprising seriousness. Admitting you have a faith that shapes your life is no longer taboo. And this shift isn’t just happening in pop culture; it’s showing up in conversations with our kids.
Let’s translate this one further…
Recently, I was sitting in the carpool line with my 15-year-old, talking about God and what we imagine Heaven to be like. The conversation even wandered into how different religions depict God and the afterlife.
My son is a deep thinker, and he said, “I don’t doubt that God exists; there’s a lot that points to that. I’m more curious about how God engages with us as a creation, because I’m not sure I’ve personally experienced it.” He went on to say, “Eternity is not what makes me want a relationship with God. If I’m going to pursue one, it’s because I know there’s a God who wants to know me.”
It wasn’t doubt, it was wonder. And while I ache for him to experience an intimate encounter with the Lord, I felt proud of what I was witnessing. He wants to pursue a relationship with God that isn’t just inherited, it’s chosen.
This quiet, relational curiosity about faith mirrors what’s happening in culture more broadly.
If you pay attention to pop culture, you can see the shift. For years, onscreen spiritual references were ironic, at best—and heretical, at worst. But suddenly, people are talking about belief like they genuinely mean it. Journalist Joe Coscarelli calls this rise in sincerity “earnestness,” and once you notice it, you see it everywhere.
When Gwen Stefani partnered with the Hallow prayer app, a few reality TV personalities tried to mock her, but it didn’t stick. She didn’t lose cultural capital. Though sponsored by an app, her Advent challenge video carried the same tone my son had in the car: simple, unpolished sincerity about wanting to connect with God.
Honesty about belief isn’t cringy or culturally risky anymore. Whether you’re a pop star onstage or a teenager in the carpool line, it’s safe to say, “I just want to know God.” Maybe that’s the real “spiritual vibe shift.”
For more context and nuance, check out our Roundtable podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. In the meantime, here are three questions to help you continue the conversation with your teens:
- How do you envision Heaven?
- Do you notice your friends having more spiritual conversations than they used to?
- Is there a Christian celebrity you sincerely look up to?
Parenting together,
Irene Tucker and the Axis Team
In Other News…
- Taylor Swift will officially conclude her Eras era today, releasing a six-episode docuseries about her record-setting tour as well as “Taylor Swift The Eras Tour The Final Show,” both streaming on Disney+.
- The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York took several big steps toward resolving 1,300 sex abuse claims against clergy.
- Australia’s blanket ban of social media for all users under 16 took effect on Wednesday.
- Pop-folk artist Noah Kahan is dropping hints about his next album, and considering the popularity of his 2022 release Stick Season, it could be one of the biggest releases of 2026.
- Pantone named “Cloud Dancer”—a shade of natural white—as its color for 2026, stating that the shade represents “a calming influence in a frenetic society.”
PS: Know someone who could use our conversation starters with their teens? Share the CT with a friend!