The ‘hot girl summer’ meme, explained

There’s no denying that the summer of 2019 is a “hot girl summer.” All over the internet people are posting about having, or not having, a “hot girl summer.” The hashtag #hotgirlsummer has been used more than 100,000 times on Instagram, but that doesn’t even began to scratch the surface of how prevalent the phrase is. The origin of ‘hot girl summer” can be traced back to when 24-year-old Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion released her album “Fever” in May. Jada Pinkett Smith also got in on the trend when she posted a photo of herself in a bikini on Twitter with the caption “I’ll take that joyful hot girl summer thank you.” I'll take that joyful hot girl summer thank you🌞✨ pic.twitter.com/AgMzMcZoFr — Jada Pinkett Smith July 18, 2019 As with almost all viral internet movements, nothing is pure, and now major corporations have tried cashing in on “hot girl summer.” After a Twitter user commented that fast-food chain Wendy’s lemonade was “amazing,” the company tweeted out saying that the lemonade is “The Official Drink of Hot Girl Summer.” The Official Drink of Hot Girl Summer https://t.co/hypy2kVdTG — Wendy's July 9, 2019 Megan Thee Stallion responded to Wendy’s claim saying, “Wendy a hot girl y’all lol.” Language-learning app and website Duolingo tweeted out a series of photos with a plush version of its green owl mascot in different parts of the world with the caption “Duo’s Hot Girl Summer,” proving that experiencing other cultures is one way to have a hot girl summer. Clothing company Forever 21 sent out an email to customers with the subject line “Feelin’ Hot Girl SUMMAH!” Makeup and cosmetics company Maybelline tweeted “Summer 19 in three words: hot girl summer. Yes mam it’s been in the process 🔥💙 https://t.co/ZQfZbZNqhK — HOT GIRL MEG July 11, 2019 To continue basking in this hot girl summer, Megan Thee Stallion has hinted on Twitter about releasing new music.