We're All Islanders
Top 9 Weekly Roundup: Week of June 23rd
Welcome to Top 9, a weekly newsletter curated by the team at Dayna's House, where we try to make sense of what’s happening at the intersection of culture, creators, and entertainment.
If you've spent any amount of time online over the past few weeks, chances are you've seen someone reference Huda, Jeremiah, Ace, or Chelley. Breaking news: they're all talking about Love Island. You might dismiss Love Island as just another silly reality show, but with 1.2 billion minutes viewed within its first two weeks—making it the second-highest performing series on any streaming platform—the world of Love Island has evolved into something much bigger.
The 24/7 Machine First, we have the social media machine driving the cultural commentary. On TikTok alone, this season has amassed over 623 million video views, a 232% increase from the previous season. But it's more than just casual recaps. Wired recently interviewed obsessive fan, Carson Campbell, who live-tweets every episode, consults with friends and other fans before voting (oh yes, viewers get to vote off islanders in real time), and recaps every episode on TikTok. Twitch streamers are also watching each episode in real time and providing live commentary. This feedback fan loop is 24/7: people watch, then immediately consume commentary about what they just watched, keeping engagement high even on non-episode days.
Sports Bars Are Playing Love Island Episodes But this extends beyond the online community. Sports bars across cities such as Phoenix, Houston, Charlotte, and New York are hosting Love Island watch parties with themed cocktails and group voting sessions. Love Island is drawing as much revenue (if not more) as a major sporting event.
People are Betting Real Money on Real Relationships People are betting, treating our beloved islanders like sports draft picks. Users are betting money on everything from winning couples to individual eliminations on platforms such as Polymarket and Bovada.
Friends of Islanders are Running their Socials Cierra Ortega's Instagram is currently being managed by her friend, who has grown her account by 400,000 followers since the beginning of June. And Iris Kendall's roommates are keeping her ShopMy alive with links to all the items she's worn on the show since she joined last week.
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What makes Love Island Love Island is how it's activated several verticals simultaneously—turning this reality dating show into a 24/7 content ecosystem that can generate money and engagement even when episodes aren't airing.
In America, people are flocking to bars to watch Love Island. In Paris, they’re flocking to bars to watch J.W. Anderson’s debut collection at Dior.
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Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browserWhy We Need to Bring Back House Parties
Gen-Z has routined too close to the sun. By prioritizing early nights and 10-step skincare routines, we've lost the spontaneity of just going out and never knowing where the night might take you. The irony is this generation that's most obsessed with the routines and wellness of it all is also the loneliest. Maybe the path back to mental health isn't more apps and structured rituals, but the good ol' fashioned act of just showing up and doing the most.
Plastic Surgery Has Entered the Chat
Earlier this month, Kylie Jenner confirmed her exact plastic surgery order via the TikTok comments of another influencer. Since then, others have fully divulged their procedures and injectables. A woman by the name of Michelle Wood recently flew to Guadalajara for a facelift. She's back from her surgery, answering questions (mainly from, you guessed it, Gen-Z) about cost, procedure, and recovery. What was once Hollywood's best-kept secret has now become Gen-Z's most discussed topic.
The Scrappy Agency Behind Zohran Mamdani’s Primary-Winning Campaign
Authentic storytelling can disrupt traditional political messaging. Melted Solids, the agency behind Mamdani's campaign, proved genuine passion, scrappy creativity, and amplifying real voices create messaging that resonates with audiences more than any big-budget corporate consultancy. What's particularly smart is how they've built a sustainable model: demonstrating how grassroots energy can naturally create organic momentum that can't be manufactured through #sponsored.
The Highest Grossing Movie of 2025
Ne Zha 2 is an animated Chinese film. It has grossed over $2.2 billion worldwide.
Look at Sephora making me want to go to a Valkyries game!
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Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browserThe Casting for Telfar’s 20th Anniversary Show
The brilliant thing about Telfar is how he's managed to build a sustainable business by doing things the Telfar way. For their 20th anniversary show, Telfar cast models via an America's Next Top Model-style show on their YouTube.
Listen. If Sex and the City can have two movies and a spin-off series, we deserve more with Mara Brock Akil’s Girlfriends.
Happy 3-day week!