It was the year Indian viewers clicked on whatever caught their eye, and YouTube’s 2025 recap shows exactly how that unpredictable browsing shaped the country’s online mood. Instead of one dominant craze, audiences drifted across cricket, music, odd clips, and creators who built their own space without following any template.

A Feed That Looked Like Everyone’s Group Chat

YouTube’s trending topics list for the year reads like a timeline where major events sit next to clips that appeared out of nowhere. IPL 2025 and the Kumbh Mela drove heavy search traffic, but feeds were also filled with TungTungTung Sahur and Labubu videos that circulated across Shorts regardless of what people meant to watch. The return of Saiyaara kept momentum throughout the year as edits and remixes pushed the song to new audiences.

The most-watched topics included:

Squid Game, Saiyaara, Coolie, Kumbh Mela, IPL 2025, Sanam Teri Kasam, TungTungTung Sahur, Labubu, Asia Cup, K-pop, and Demon Hunters.

The mix reflects how viewers moved between cinema, cricket, and spontaneous viral moments without treating any category as separate. The platform became a space where niche clips and mainstream events travelled together.

Creators Who Ignored Boundaries

A clear shift this year was how creators rejected older formats and reached viewers across languages and styles. MrBeast connected with Indian audiences by speaking in multiple Indian languages, while KL BRO Biju Rithvik went silent and relied entirely on visual storytelling. Others, including Sejal Gaba and Raj Shamani, continued to treat content as long-term work rather than quick viral bursts.

YouTube noted that 76% of Gen Z now uses the platform to understand world events. This pushed the creator feed to operate less like entertainment and more like an ongoing update on what people were talking about.

Creators who led the year included:

MrBeast, Sejal Gaba, 김후KIMPRO, Keshav, Shashi Vlogs, Tera Trigun, Sirf Shreyansh, Zidaan Shahid Aly, KL BRO Biju Rithvik, Tech Master Shorts, and Raj Shamani.

The Soundtrack That Filled Every Scroll

Music trends also broke patterns. Many of the top tracks spread through Shorts, not traditional releases. Some older songs returned through edits, while niche mixes travelled widely.

Top Songs on Shorts:

PASSO BEM SOLTO (Slowed), Shaky, Saiyaara, Yeda, Yung Mafia Victory Anthem, Tune O Rangeele (Brazilian Funk Mix), Jutti Meri (Live), Payal Ki Khanak, Dil Pe Chalai Churiya.

Top Songs of the Year:

Saiyaara, Ranu Bombai Ki Ranu, Shaky, Raanjhan Teri, Ramjhol Bole Gi.

These tracks became the background score for reactions, transitions, and everyday scrolling.

A Year Without a Single Trend

The 2025 recap shows that India did not follow one theme or one creator. Viewers sampled everything, and the result was a shared digital mood created by scattered but collective viewing.