Facebook Users Picked Up Their Cigar Box Guitars and Jammed to Classic Rock in February

Facebook users were feeling musical in February, as cigar box guitar and classic rock were both Topics to Watch for the month, according to Facebook IQ. Conversation about cigar box guitar and associated topics New Orleans, string instrument, Samantha Fish, slide guitar, pickup, electric guitar, blues, ukulele, acoustic guitar, guitar and bass guitar was up 1.9 times compared with February 2018 and 0.7 times versus January, with men dominating the discussion—particularly those 25 through 34 and 50 through 64. Facebook IQ wrote, “Cigar box guitars date back to the American Civil War. Soldiers created guitars out of wooden cigar boxes and played these instruments at their campsites. Now, modern artisans are bringing these instruments back in style, repurposing old cigar containers and selling their handmade guitars online. Some new rock musicians are gaining fame by playing them in concert. And they're even easy enough to make at home—with step-by-step instructions available online. The cigar box guitar revolution seems to be underway, as musicians across the country purchase, play and even create cigar box guitars.” [kickout id="1"] [kickout id="2"] Men 50 and older also drove talk about classic rock—and associated topics Rush, country sway, Head East, Never Been Any Reason (song by Head East), radio broadcasting, iHeartRadio, George Harrison, oldies, The Beatles and streaming media—as conversation volume was up 3.6 times year-over-year and doubled compared with January. The social network’s research arm wrote, “Classic rock generally refers to music created between the 1960s and 1980s within the rock ‘n’ roll genre. While many of the artists from these decades no longer play live concerts, their music continues to resonate with people of all ages. As music streaming services become increasingly popular, people across demographics are discovering rock artists and tracks that played on the radio years ago. Additionally, new films are highlighting these rockers, depicting their life stories and releasing remastered versions of iconic tracks. Classic rock may be experiencing a revival, as people rediscover songs of generations past.” [kickout id="3"] [kickout id="4"] Facebook users munched on comfort food including sour cream, casserole, dessert, chicken, cheese, pasta, cooking, food, baking and soup, with conversation volume up 1.8 times versus February 2018 and 0.7 times month-over-month, and women providing the boost. Facebook IQ wrote, “Packed with nostalgia—and usually carbs—comfort foods mean different things to different people, but these dishes are consistently simple to make and incredibly filling. Many are now redefining their comfort foods and testing out cross-cultural recipes, as we noted in our 2019 Topics & Trends Report. And people are tweaking classic renditions to make them healthier, like adding squash to mac and cheese, or substituting zucchini for potatoes in fries or chips. While this category of food never ceases to comfort, people are expanding their palates into new territories, flavors and recipes.” [kickout id="5"] [kickout id="6"] Women 35 through 49 caused conversation about Japanese hair accessories kanzashi and associated topics flowers, hair stick, headband, kimono and Japan to jump two times year-over-year and 0.9 times compared with January. The social network’s research arm wrote, “Kanzashi are traditional Japanese hair accessories. They're made from a range of materials, like cloth, metal and plastic, often crafted to resemble flowers. These accessories have been part of Japanese culture for generations and were traditionally worn with kimonos, but people are now wearing kanzashi more casually, and even adorning these hair ornaments with modern attire. Kanzashi artisans are sharing do-it-yourself methods for creating these types of hairpins, as well as selling their own products online, making it possible for people in the U.S.—and around the world—to get hold of these intricate hair accessories.” [kickout id="7"] [kickout id="8"] Facebook users had no need for kneading last month, as no-knead bread saw conversation rise 2.2 times versus February 2018 and 0.4 times from January, led by women 50 and up. Associated topics included kneading, Dutch oven, cooking, baking, yeast, flour, bread, dough, oven and water. Facebook IQ wrote, “No-knead bread is a bread-lover's dream: It's crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and extremely easy to make. Most recipes only call for a handful of ingredients and no special tools or techniques. The only catch is that the uncooked dough needs to sit for 15 to 24 hours to rise naturally. Then, the dough is placed in a Dutch oven—a cooking pot made from cast iron—and baked in a regular oven. People seem to have a growing interest in bread, and many are sharing their favorite, simple recipes on social media.” [kickout id="9"] [kickout id="10"] Sticking with food, women 35 and older drove a 1.8 times year-over-year gain and a 0.6 times month-over-month increase in conversations about hearty soup ribollita and associated topics vegetables, Parmigiano-Reggiano, ciabatta, stew, soup, Tuscany, bread, kale, olive oil and Italy. The social network’s research arm wrote, “A hearty soup that hails from Tuscany, Italy, ribollita's distinctive feature is its use of leftover bread. The key ingredients are vegetables—like kale, cabbage, carrots, chard, potatoes and onion—beans and bread. A classic dish in Italy, people in the U.S. are now discovering recipes for it online. It's even said to taste better after a few days, making it a perfect choice for people with busy lifestyles looking to meal prep and eat healthy, home-cooked food.” [kickout id="11"] [kickout id="12"] We learned these things from Facebook IQ’s latest data chart called Topics to Watch, which is designed to help marketers know what subjects to look out for on the social network. The topics are based on trending data, and Adweek readers get an exclusive look at them each month.