As rain pounds the pavement, a red bus can be seen driving in a busy street, illuminating an otherwise darkened roadside. The weather looks formidable, but in a way that almost seems comforting: the perfect time of day to curl up on the sofa with a warm cup of tea.
This cosy X clip is accompanied by the caption: “Winter enjoyers, our time is near.”
To which a (presumably) British person replied: “This is Lewisham in the pissing rain.”
What is #Britishcore?
It’s this dichotomy that underpins the much-documented #Britishcore trend exploding on social media. Under the #Britishcore hashtag are thousands of TikToks romanticizing the simplicity of British life.
Across the pond, England is usually associated with the glitz and glamor of London, but these mood boards across TikTok couldn’t paint a more different picture. One slideshow, for instance, involves pictures of the Tube, bridges sprayed with graffiti, and an abandoned bus stop.
Another features a Greggs, a corner shop, and what is lovingly described here as “the big Tesco.” The buildings and roadsides in these videos are far from shiny and new — in fact, they all look a bit neglected. But part of our national pride, on TikTok at least, involves finding a way to see it all through rose-tinted goggles.
“For the Brits it’s a nostalgic thing, like things we’d completely forgotten about from our past, and it actually makes you feel quite proud to be British watching it – which is a rare feeling as we’re not a very proud nation as a whole,” social media and PR expert Luana Ribeira explains.
“Britishcore focuses on things like cult classic television, rainy days, generic British streets that we all somehow remember growing up around, and other forgotten areas of our life which spark a feeling of warmth and nostalgia.”
And as it turns out, these rose-tinted goggles have gone international. Case in point: numerous American TikTokers are jumping in on the #BritishCore trend. A video by @equivey10, for instance, features him listing the things he wants to do when visiting England, such as eating a Greggs sausage roll or doing a “cheeky Tesco run.”
Meanwhile, a second viral TikTok involved DJ The Dare asking viewers if they were Britishmaxxing as he pans the camera across London Paddington train station, with a remix of Ewan McGregor’s Trainspotting monologue playing in the background.
“What stands out for me is how Tiktok gives you a real insight into other people’s cultures and other cultures have always had a fascination with the Brits,” Riberia adds.
“On TV, we would only see a very surface level, quite a stereotypical overview of the British, but Britishcore is very specific, often regional, and reveals little quirks we have that no one knew about.”
Where exactly does #Britishcore come from?
Eloise Skinner, a psychotherapist with a focus on cultural trends, told Passionfruit that it is surely no coincidence that #Britishcore has been making the rounds after two major pop culture events.
With “brat summer,” Charli XCX, a Brit, has been painting the whole world lime green. Her world domination, which even spread to Kamala Harris, cannot be understated. In fact, there’s only one pop culture event that’s rivaled brat summer, and it’s the return of Britpop OGs Oasis.
“These types of trends, especially when paired with a more general idea like ‘Britishcore’, can start to develop popular interest in an overall cultural movement, and build attention rapidly.” Skinner adds.
So, where does #Britishcore go from here? Like all trends, it will probably fizzle out, but the thing about nostalgia is that it never really dies.
