Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Greta Thunberg Epically Trolls Climate Concert Crowd With Rick Astley Hit—And People Went Wild

Greta Thunberg Epically Trolls Climate Concert Crowd With Rick Astley Hit—And People Went Wild
Elena Di Vincenzo/Archivio Elena Di Vincenzo/Mondadori Portfolio via Getty Images

The internet prank known as "Rickrolling" may be about a million years old in Internet years, but even Greta Thunberg knows a classic when she sees one.

The Swedish teen climate activist had people going absolutely wild when she trolled the crowd at a recent climate change-themed concert, treating attendees to a surprise performance of pop singer Rick Astley's 1987 hit—and beloved internet joke—"Never Gonna Give You Up."


Thunberg took to the stage at the Climate Live concert in Stockholm to sing and dance to the iconic song.

See a clip below.

@climatelive2021

dudu dududu dudududu #CANYOUHEARUSYET

At first when Thunberg took the stage, she appeared to be preparing to deliver another of the rousing speeches about climate change that she has become famous for--like the one a few weeks ago when she called out Democratic U.S. President Joe Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson for their inaction on the crisis.

But instead of launching into missives about fighting climate apocalypse, Thunberg delivered words that will seem instantly familiar to anyone who's spent time on the internet over the years:

"We're not strangers to love..."

A fellow activist onstage chipped in the next line of Astley's hit:

"You know the rules, and so do I..."

And suddenly the song came bursting out of the sound system as the crowd erupted into an ecstatic song and dance.

The "Rickroll," a long-running internet joke that first began on April Fool's Day 2007, involves a bait-and-switch prank where internet users follow a hyperlink purporting to be relevant to the topic at hand, but instead leads to Astley's deliciously cheesy 80s pop video.

But if you think Astley's feelings might be hurt by all this, think again.

Even he took to Twitter to praise Thunberg's stunt as "fantastic."


Speaking to Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the usually serious Thunberg explained why she incorporated a Rickroll into her Cliamte Live appearance:

"At the end of the day, we are just teenagers fooling around with each other, not just the angry kids the media often portrays us as."

On Twitter, people absolutely loved it.












This isn't the first time Thunberg has Rickrolled us.

She previously used the trick in an April Fool's Day tweet this year offering climate change activism guidance, but led to Astley's video.

Good on her for having an appreciation for the internet classics!

More from Trending/funny-news

A woman staring out into the ocean
a woman standing on a beach looking out at the ocean
Photo by Cosiela Borta on Unsplash

People Divulge Which Things Scream 'This Person Is Insecure' Without Them Saying A Word

Be it our bodies, our clothes, our jobs, or our personalities, everyone has some insecurity.

Of course, some people's insecurities are easier to notice than others.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tianna Graham stands beside her ice-encased 2016 Honda Civic on North Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood.
@tiannag444/TikTok; @NBCPhiladelphia/TikTok

Philly Woman Goes Viral With Her Totally Chill Reaction To Her Car Being Completely Frozen In Ice

While the Northeast battled winter weather, the internet was captivated by a Philly-based TikToker documenting how her car turned into what she jokingly described as a Snowmaggedon popsicle.

Last week, Tianna Graham shoveled out her 2016 Honda Civic and drove out after a snowstorm, took it to work, and parked it in the same spot she’d left it before: next to a water main. By the time she returned, her vehicle was completely encased in ice on the 1000 block of North Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Letter from Redditor Fit_Bowl_7313
u/Fit_Bowl_7313/Reddit

Dad Sparks Heated Debate After 'Nice Note' He Left For Wife And Kids Before Work Trip Sets Her Off

When a person becomes a parent, much more will change in their life than they anticipated.

But that transition can be especially hard when a person feels like they're losing themselves to their role as a mom or dad—and that feeling is made even worse when their partner hyper-fixates on their new role.

Keep ReadingShow less
Luke Granger; memorial for Renée Good
C-SPAN; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Renée Good's Brother Shares Emotional Testimony On Capitol Hill To Condemn ICE In Viral Clip

On Tuesday, House and Senate Democrats listened to testimony from United States citizens who were assaulted, injured, shot, or otherwise adversely affected by the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump through Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via employees of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Their Republican colleagues were invited, but none chose to attend.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots from @theishilist's TikTok videos
@theishilist/TikTok

TikToker Speaks Out After Mom On Flight Asked Her To Switch $7k Business Class Seat With Daughter In Economy

We've all heard stories of entitled passengers on airlines, specifically people who inconvenience other passengers and demand different seating arrangements.

But sometimes people are so entitled, it's hard to believe the stories told about them.

Keep ReadingShow less