It you were looking for proof that 2020 hasn't been quite the horror show it appears to be, look no further than the YouTube channel Twinsthenewtrend.
The channel is the brainchild of US twin brothers, Tim and Fred Williams, who have proved to be a much-needed light in the darkness of this year. The duo have gone viral for their show in which they listen to classic songs, from the 1960s up to the present day, and give their enthusiastic thoughts and opinions.
The 22-year-old twins from Gary, Indiana, have racked up millions of views and won stacks of celebrity fans for their open-minded approach to all types of music, including Adele, Phil Collins, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Whitney Houston, Johnny Cash, Meatloaf, Nirvana, Luciano Pavarotti, Al Green and more. And fans have been queueing up to offer suggestions of songs the twins should listen to.
Who are the twins and what inspired them?
If you needed more evidence that you should be enjoying a daily dose of sunshine on Twinsthenewtrend, none other than Barack Obama surprised the pair last month, appearing via video, after they critiqued a song from the former president's recommended playlist – Bob Dylan's The Times They Are Changing.
After revealing that they respected the 79-year-old folk singer for speaking “facts", Obama then appeared and asked the pair what inspired them to start their own channel.
"Just by the love and passion for music we have," Tim told the former president. "As we were growing up, we lived in a religious home so we were unable to listen to different genres. But as we got older we started to explore more music and we started to be like: 'Oh, what was that?' Then somebody requested Frank Sinatra's Under My Skin, and that's how we all got started."
Finding viral fame and influence
One of the twins' most-watched videos is of them listening to Phil Collins's 1981 track, In the Air Tonight, which has so far racked up more than eight million views on YouTube. The publicity their video generated caused the song to become the fourth biggest-selling song of the week ending August 8, up from number 185 the week before. And it reached No 2 on iTunes on August 18 and 19.
Their listens to Dolly Parton's Jolene ("I love the storytelling behind the song"), The Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams ("That chorus was legendary") and Alicia Keys's Fallin' ("That's giving me goosebumps already") all prompted reactions from the stars themselves, and celebrities have been lining up to sing their praises.
“I came across something the other day … and I was delighted by it,” revealed talk show host David Letterman. “It’s two twins … and they listen to music for the first time – music that for me, and I think probably for you, was typical growing-up music we’re all aware of. But these kids, because of their age, had never heard of it, and they listened to it for the first time and then they react to it. And I found these two guys to be so, just sweet and lovely, and their reaction to this music is delightful.”
From poverty to fan favourites
Although the Phil Collins’s first listen was the video which cemented the twins’ internet fame, the pair have rated many other songs, including by Radiohead, Oasis, Queen, Boyz II Men and more. And their positive approach to all kinds of music is what led them out of what Fred calls the “war zone” of poverty and violence in their neighbourhood.
"From my own experiences, I've taught Tim and Fred how important it is to have a voice," their mother, Tiffany King-Richardson, told People. "I want them to do something in life that they love, and that's music."
Their mother has spent time in prison for offences in connection with drug addiction and worked at Indiana’s Edgewater Health helping people dealing with substance abuse. Both Tim and Fred have also worked there.
And the success they’ve found in 2020 has led the family to be able to move to Indianapolis, with Fred saying: “We’re in a better opportunity.”
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Read more:
Barack Obama shares his top films, TV shows, songs and books of 2020
The pros and cons of streaming: 10 ways digital technology has disrupted the music industry
Who is Logan Paul? Everything you need to know about the controversial vlogger ahead of Floyd Mayweather fight
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MATCH INFO
Southampton 0
Manchester City 1 (Sterling 16')
Man of the match: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
THREE POSSIBLE REPLACEMENTS
Khalfan Mubarak
The Al Jazira playmaker has for some time been tipped for stardom within UAE football, with Quique Sanchez Flores, his former manager at Al Ahli, once labelling him a “genius”. He was only 17. Now 23, Mubarak has developed into a crafty supplier of chances, evidenced by his seven assists in six league matches this season. Still to display his class at international level, though.
Rayan Yaslam
The Al Ain attacking midfielder has become a regular starter for his club in the past 15 months. Yaslam, 23, is a tidy and intelligent player, technically proficient with an eye for opening up defences. Developed while alongside Abdulrahman in the Al Ain first-team and has progressed well since manager Zoran Mamic’s arrival. However, made his UAE debut only last December.
Ismail Matar
The Al Wahda forward is revered by teammates and a key contributor to the squad. At 35, his best days are behind him, but Matar is incredibly experienced and an example to his colleagues. His ability to cope with tournament football is a concern, though, despite Matar beginning the season well. Not a like-for-like replacement, although the system could be adjusted to suit.
A Dog's Journey
Directed by: Gail Mancuso
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Josh Gad, Marg Helgenberger, Betty Gilpin, Kathryn Prescott
3 out of 5 stars
Start-up hopes to end Japan's love affair with cash
Across most of Asia, people pay for taxi rides, restaurant meals and merchandise with smartphone-readable barcodes — except in Japan, where cash still rules. Now, as the country’s biggest web companies race to dominate the payments market, one Tokyo-based startup says it has a fighting chance to win with its QR app.
Origami had a head start when it introduced a QR-code payment service in late 2015 and has since signed up fast-food chain KFC, Tokyo’s largest cab company Nihon Kotsu and convenience store operator Lawson. The company raised $66 million in September to expand nationwide and plans to more than double its staff of about 100 employees, says founder Yoshiki Yasui.
Origami is betting that stores, which until now relied on direct mail and email newsletters, will pay for the ability to reach customers on their smartphones. For example, a hair salon using Origami’s payment app would be able to send a message to past customers with a coupon for their next haircut.
Quick Response codes, the dotted squares that can be read by smartphone cameras, were invented in the 1990s by a unit of Toyota Motor to track automotive parts. But when the Japanese pioneered digital payments almost two decades ago with contactless cards for train fares, they chose the so-called near-field communications technology. The high cost of rolling out NFC payments, convenient ATMs and a culture where lost wallets are often returned have all been cited as reasons why cash remains king in the archipelago. In China, however, QR codes dominate.
Cashless payments, which includes credit cards, accounted for just 20 per cent of total consumer spending in Japan during 2016, compared with 60 per cent in China and 89 per cent in South Korea, according to a report by the Bank of Japan.
Ultra processed foods
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20Tabby%3Cbr%3EFounded%3A%20August%202019%3B%20platform%20went%20live%20in%20February%202020%3Cbr%3EFounder%2FCEO%3A%20Hosam%20Arab%2C%20co-founder%3A%20Daniil%20Barkalov%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20Payments%3Cbr%3ESize%3A%2040-50%20employees%3Cbr%3EStage%3A%20Series%20A%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Arbor%20Ventures%2C%20Mubadala%20Capital%2C%20Wamda%20Capital%2C%20STV%2C%20Raed%20Ventures%2C%20Global%20Founders%20Capital%2C%20JIMCO%2C%20Global%20Ventures%2C%20Venture%20Souq%2C%20Outliers%20VC%2C%20MSA%20Capital%2C%20HOF%20and%20AB%20Accelerator.%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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Company Profile
Founder: Omar Onsi
Launched: 2018
Employees: 35
Financing stage: Seed round ($12 million)
Investors: B&Y, Phoenician Funds, M1 Group, Shorooq Partners
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
