Hopecore Tiktok trend explained: Meaning of viral social media aesthetic

HOPECORE is the TikTok trend that shows no signs of waning.

TikTok's latest trend might just be what we all need right now. But what's the new hashtag all about and how can you get involved?

Spreading hope

We could all do with some words of encouragement when things get tough, and the new Hopecore hashtag aims to deliver on just that.

TikTok's latest Hopecore trend is a name for videos that are dedicated to curating messages with an air of optimism.

The trend emerged in late 2023, and gained significant momentum throughout 2024.

Hopecore is a compilation of scrapbook style cultural references that all centre on upliftment.

A problem shared is a problem halved

The uploads usually include famous quotes from a film, book extracts or lyrics taken from a song.

Some TikTok users even include screenshots of text messages to add that personal touch to their compilation.

The clips are merged to create a slideshow of motivational reminders, topped with a background song to set the mood.

Popular soulful music by Frank Sinatra, Bob Marley and Neil Diamond are popular choices for Hopecore videos.

Others, hoping to stand out, set audio extracts to their clips instead.

Audio background choices are often famous speech extracts from the former navy seal, David Goggins, and motivational speaker, Eric Thomas.

Core compare

The Hopecore trend continues to grow, with content creators sharing wholesome content tagged under #Hopecore, promoting joy, hope, and connection.

The trends lead at TikTok, Louisa McGillicuddy is monitoring the trends progress compared to other core aesthetics on the platform.

Speaking to The Independent in February: “Last week, the number of creations was 180,000, but after looking again today, it’s now at 200,000.

"The fact that there are 20,000 more creations in the space of the week, is crazy.

“And also if you contextualise it with other cores – core is a term widely used to describe a particular aesthetic or attitude in fashion, beauty, design and more.

"There are a lot of different #cores that the TikTok community has got involved with over the years, from cottagecore to balletcore, gorpcore and even corecore – it’s much bigger, even though 200,000 may not sound like a lot.

“If you look at Barbiecore – it was all over my ‘for you’ page last year – it’s at 71,000, and balletcore is at 60,000, so it’s a lot bigger than some of these trendy cores that have popped up.”

Popularity

The fast paced nature of TikTok mean that most trends come and go, but McGillicuddy has noticed the increase in saves, making Hopecore content more for keeps amongst viewers.

“When you look at the number of likes and comments, you will notice that the saves are high too.

"It’s not how people typically engage with aesthetics or cores, which might be like a make-up tutorial.

"They’re interacting with these videos in a very specific way; saving them to come back to when they are feeling down and need a pick me up.

"It’s almost like stockpiling affirmations,” says McGillicuddy.