A relatively new genre of YouTube videos features regular people listening to new music–and sometimes old music–just for their reactions.
The genre's breakthrough act is two young men who prefer rap and gospel music, but went viral for their reaction videos to old soul, rock and country.
Calling themselves TwinstheNewTrend, twin brothers Tim and Fred Williams of Gary, Ind., have a library of reaction videos to songs from artists famous among older people. but utterly unknown to many young adults.
They never heard of Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight," recorded in 1981, years before they were born. When the song's legendary drum fill starts up midway through, the twins loved it, and the reaction video went viral.
Can it be that they never heard of Whitney Houston? Watching a video, they say it is the first time they've seen her face and they never heard her torch song, "I Will Always Love You." Whitney gave them goosebumps, proving that the power of the song transcends generations.
"Crazy, bro!" "I feel like she's saying she love me," one says. Well, yes, everybody feels that way.
To Diana Ross and her "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," they conclude that she had to be the lead singer in a church choir because "she's killing it."
Their fun reactions to Dolly Parton ("OKAY JOLENE!") and dozens of other artists have earned them more than 700,000 followers on their YouTube channel.
And some artists have responded.
They never heard of Alicia Keys ("Sorry, man") or her song "Fallin'" but her vocals knocked them back in their chairs. "That's got to be a robot, man, a computer."
Alicia Keys took notice.
Writing on Twitter, Keys responded with laugh emojis. "It's not the first time I've heard people call me a robot but I promise I'm not," the singer said.
