Apple’s 8 New Popstar Emoji Spark Guesses Amid Viral Tweet Speculation
Viral Hoax Claims New Celebrity Emojis Are Coming to iPhone—Fans React
A viral tweet suggesting Apple would release eight new emojis of famous female artists sparked a frenzy online, amassing 11 million views. The post, shared by parody account Drop Pop, claimed icons of Lana Del Rey, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Iggy Azalea, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and Ariana Grande would debut in iOS 18.5. Though quickly debunked, reactions ranged from excitement to criticism over the designs’ outdated and unrecognizable looks.
The viral emoji lineup left fans divided over their resemblance to the artists.
Mixed Reactions
While some fans declared the emojis would “be the most used,” others questioned the outdated styles. “Did they make these in 2014?” one user joked, noting Taylor Swift’s shorter hair (now long and blonde) and Lana Del Rey’s bob cut. Many struggled to identify icons like Iggy Azalea, with one asking, “Who is this??” and another calling them “generic women.”
Fans debated the emojis’ accuracy, with only Beyoncé and Rihanna deemed recognizable.
Ariana Grande’s Emoji Controversy
The most confusion centered on Ariana Grande’s emoji, modeled after her 2010s aesthetic—dark hair, tan skin, and a high ponytail—contrasting her current blonde, pale look. Users quipped, “Ari hasn’t been Black since 2019,” while others asked, “Why is Ariana Grande brown?”
The emoji (left) vs. Grande’s current style (right) baffled fans.
The Hoax Revealed
Drop Pop’s bio clarifies it shares satire, not factual news. Unicode Consortium, which standardizes emojis, avoids creating likenesses of real people, making celebrity emojis improbable. Apple’s recent iOS 18.4 update introduced new emojis like a phoenix and lime—none resembling celebrities.
Apple’s latest emojis include objects and animals, not celebrities.
While the hoax ignited lively debate, it underscored fans’ desire for more personalized emojis—and the pitfalls of outdated pop culture references. For now, celebrity icons remain a fictional fantasy.
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