MONEY MOVES TO TIKTOKHow naive we were to
think YouTube and Ins-
tagram would stay pure.
Then ads and influencers
flooded feeds. They’re now
colonizing the TikTok Wild
West, and in 2021 the app
is fated to evolve into a
full-on business model.
Retailers are already pres-
suring employees to plug
them via TikTok. So enjoy
the dogs with butter on
them (buttadog!) while you
can, before they become
Kerrygold ads.NEW SUMMER OF LOVEAfter a year of social
distancing and staying
indoors while watching
death tolls tick up over
the winter, young Ameri-
cans need a release. The
widespread distribution of
a COVID-19 vaccine will
coincide with the summer
of 2021, just in time for
parks across the country
to turn into full-on party
zones. Think Woodstock-
esque full-time gatherings
in public outdoor spaces.A POSTHUMOUS OSCARFollowing a year of
cinema hampered by
delays and theater closings,
Academy voters decide the
late Chadwick Boseman
saved one of his best
performances for last. The
beloved Black Panther post-
humously wins Best Sup-
porting Actor at the 2021
Oscars for a star turn in Ma
Rainey’s Black Bottom, his
final film appearance.QUINTON BYFIELD
HOCKEY PLAYER
The highest-drafted
Black player in NHL
history will star for the
L.A. Kings this season
and use his prodigious
skating skills, quick
hands, and size to win
Rookie of the Year.ASHNIKKO
SINGERSONGWRITER
From America, now
based in the U.K.,
24-year-old Ashnikko
found viral fame on
TikTok with her song
“Stupid.” Her debut
album, Demidevil,
comes out in Febru-
ary 2021. Her brash
style feels new but is
catchy enough to make
it on pop radio.TEEZO TOUCHDOWN
RAPPER
Te ezo To u c h d own
is a guitar- shredding
Beaumont, Texas,
native who seamlessly
blends rap, rock, and
the avant-garde in a
way that conjures
the sounds of Rick
James, Richard Hell,
and Tyler, the Creator.
Believe us, it works.RISING STARSJEFF BEZOS BUYS AN NFL TEAMMany thought it would happen
in 2019 or 2020, but in 2021 Bezos
finally uses his fortune to get ahold of
one of the most valuable franchises in
sports, whether it’s the nearby Seattle
Seahawks or the Washington Football
Team. Either way, he’ll cough up a
record amount for a sports franchise
of any type, and the Mark Cuban
comparisons will abound.AN OLYMPIC BUBBLE“Bubbles” set up by the NWSL and
the NBA proved sporting events can
still be held safely, and they’ll be the
model for the Tokyo Summer Games.
Expect many drastic changes, includ-
ing welcoming far fewer ticketed
attendees, having athletes quarantine
weeks prior to the opening ceremo-
nies, and regular testing for the dura-
tion of the competition.30 FORTUNE DECEMBER 2020 /JANUARY 2021CULTUREDelayed Gratiication
Next summer will be about celebrating
everything we put on hold in 2020.THE BRIEF CRYSTAL BALLCRYSTAL BALL CONTRIBUTORS MARIA ASPAN, LYDIA BELANGER, DANIEL BENTLEY, KATHERINE DUNN, ERIKA FRY, NICOLE GOODKIND,
ROBERT HACKETT, BRETT HAENSEL, MATT HEIMER, ARIC JENKINS, JEREMY KAHN, RACHEL KING, REY MASHAYEKHI, GRADY MCGREGOR,
JAKE METH, DAVID MEYER, MCKENNA MOORE, DAVID Z. MORRIS, SY MUKHERJEE, AARON PRESSMAN BYFIELD: CHRIS TANOUYEGETTY IMAGES; ASHNIKKO: JOHN PHILLIPSGETTY IMAGES; TOUCHDOWN: COURTESY OF TEEZO TOUCHDOWN