Hits different has filtered its way into common language and SZA named a song after it. She sings, "Hit different when I'm sitting here alone, all by myself. Hit different when I think you might be with somebody else" (via YouTube). USA Today outlines that it's so general that it fits with any trends that are popular on the app.
Some people have adopted it to educate (and thirst over) some of the finest presidents and first ladies. JFK has been getting a lot of love. Other people have shared their favorite pictures of celebrities that do something else for them. People have also been exposing their childhood crushes that used to make them feel all kinds of ways and the little moments that bring them joy like road trips (via YouTube), swimming in the rain, and working late when everyone is asleep.
According to Stay Hipp, before it was used on TikTok, hits different became a common phrase used within LGBTQ+ communities. The publication outlines that after YouTuber and influencer Daniel Howell came out, many of their fans reacted by saying that the news hit different. After 2019, it was seen across the internet and may have even filtered into your vocabulary.
