Why a Nonsense Lyric Says Everything About Pop Culture Today
Every once in a while, a weekend reminds us that pop culture doesn’t just reflect what’s trending - it is what’s trending. With Liverpool, Celtic, and the Dodgers all securing major wins, sports dominated screens and conversations. Fireworks, game replays, and social media feeds were all in sync.
And that’s the magic: sports is storytelling in real time. But the same can be said about music. This month, a seemingly random lyric - “6-7” - transcended logic to become a viral chant, an inside joke, and a marketing lesson. In this article, Hollywood Branded shares what “6-7” teaches us about music, memes, and how brands can ride the cultural current.
When Culture Happens Live, Brands Need to Pay Attention
Sports and music are twin engines of pop culture. They both offer real-time emotion, unpredictable arcs, and unforgettable highs and lows. In both, heroes are made, heartbreaks happen, and fans ride the emotional wave with religious fervor.
The weekend wins from Liverpool FC, Celtic, and the Dodgers were more than sports moments - they were cultural ones. At the same time, “6-7,” a lyric from Skrilla’s track, went from background noise to front-page meme. Fans didn’t care what it meant. It simply felt right. That’s how culture spreads now: not through logic, but through emotional rhythm.
Photo Credit: Bleacher Report
A Meme, A Chant, A Cultural Earthquake
The phrase “6-7” originates from rapper Skrilla’s track, repeated hypnotically over a beat. It might have remained obscure if not for TikTok. Once users began pairing the phrase with basketball edits - especially LaMelo Ball, who stands 6′7″ - the algorithm took over.
The lyric became a meme, then a code, then a call-and-response among Gen Alpha and Gen Z fans. It’s nonsense with purpose - a digital handshake that signals, “I’m in on it.” It’s the ultimate Gen Z inside joke. And the fact that it confuses adults is exactly why it thrives.
Photo Credit: WCVB
Why Brands Should Be Listening (and Lyric-ing)
Music is fast, emotional, and deeply memorable - making it the perfect tool for modern marketers. Yet so many brands underestimate its power. Unlike film or TV, music videos move at light speed from concept to screen. And when brands show up inside the lyrics or visuals? They stay there - on repeat.
We’ve seen brands thrive when they leverage:
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Music videos that build culture in weeks, not months.
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Lyric integrations that turn brand mentions into memorable mantras.
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Global reach that outpaces most media buys.
Music’s ROI isn’t just awareness - it’s affinity. A catchy lyric or visual cameo can become part of a cultural moment, giving brands relevance they can’t buy through traditional ads.
Photo Credit: The Fader
Why Nonsense Can Sell—and What to Do With It
What “6-7” really teaches us is that emotional resonance beats logical messaging. A lyric doesn’t need to make sense. It needs to stick. That’s the same logic behind great brand integrations - product cameos, lyric mentions, remix challenges. It’s not about being literal. It’s about being in the moment.
The best brand campaigns feel native to the culture they join. That means:
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Letting creators lead.
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Allowing silliness to drive sincerity.
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Trusting that what feels irrelevant might actually be the most relevant thing in the room.
And yes, it means having younger voices in the boardroom. Because if you’re asking “What is 6-7?” after it goes viral, you’ve already missed the moment.
Photo Credit: Lickd
If You Want to Matter, You Have to Listen to the Beat
Marketing is about finding the story before the rest of the world catches on. “6-7” proves that today’s stories are written in lyrics, memes, and TikTok loops. For brands, the takeaway is simple: music isn’t just a background element - it’s the beat that drives culture forward.
Want your brand to feel now instead of dated? Partner with musicians. Show up in lyrics. Let a visual cameo turn into emotional currency. Because the next big cultural moment might not start with a headline - it might start with a lyric you don’t yet understand.
Eager To Learn More?
Check out these related Hollywood Branded blogs to dig deeper into the world of celebrity partnerships and influencer marketing:
- Why Are Mockumentary Sitcoms Like The Office, Parks And Rec, Modern Family, And Abbott Elementary So Popular?
- Hollywood: The Ultimate Marketing Machine
- How Entertainment Shapes Consumer Behavior
- Why Brands Trust Tom Hanks to Tell Their Story
- The Marketing Genius of Lisa Vanderpump
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