At its recent Canva Create tech even in Los Angeles, graphic design app Canva staged a performance that seemed tailor-made to go viral. And boy did it ever, for all the wrong reasons.
The platform's event opened with a big, splashy hip-hop performance that left the entire internet cringing and cringing hard—and blaming Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The performance reminded pretty much everyone of Miranda's blockbuster Broadway musical Hamilton, but not really in a good way.
The performance was meant to announce new features the company is unveiling on its graphic design app. Suffice to say that's not what anybody remembered about it.
The performance evoked all the most cringe elements you can think of: high school improv, youth group talent show, one of those D.A.R.E. To Keep Kids Off Drugs presentations from the '90s, and everything in between.
Opening with two performers addressing the audience, the pair announce they hear music offstage before a troupe of dancers and singers take over, singing lyrics like:
“You can redesign your work, Canva got that glow up."
"We redesigned errything from the flo’ up."
"Customize your workspace and make it your own."
"Oh, now you’re making magic when you up in the zone."
No, it absolutely does not get better from there. As tech professional Alex Cohen put it in a tweet, "this is the most cringe sh*t I have ever seen in my entire tech career."
Pretty much the entire internet agreed, and they dragged not only Canva, but Lin-Manuel Miranda as well.
It must be said: Even Kendall Roy's "L to the OG" on Succession had more swag than this. Godspeed, Canva. Godspeed.
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