11 YouTube videos that will improve your day

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I’ll take any excuse to waste hours of my time in the wormhole that is YouTube. Luckily for me, this self-isolation thing works as a perfect cover to consume unhealthy amounts of Internet content, and I’m not mad about it. I’m sure you already know about the soldiers returning home from war and cute animal videos, so here’s a few more feel-good videos to add to your repertoire.

1. Harry Styles performs a catwalk concert

Everybody’s favourite curly-haired angel gives us a stellar performance – a performance broken up into 30-second intervals in the middle of an intersection. Complete with choreography, costumes, special effects and James Cordon as Harry’s tour manager, the audience’s reactions are almost as priceless as seeing Harry in a sea of watermelon-clad dancers.

2. How to become TripAdvisor’s #1 fake restaurant

Take a break from today’s headlines and jump into this ridiculous yet strangely comforting fake restaurant. It’s Black Mirror meets deadpan British humour. Over eight months, journalist and filmmaker Oobah Butler attempts to create the number one rated restaurant in London. The only thing is, it’s not a real restaurant – it’s a shed in his backyard. It’s absurd enough to be completely believable.

3. A good cover of ‘Bad Guy’

Self-proclaimed “music producer and instrumentalist meme boi”, Eldre is the definition of chaotic good. With a smile so fixed it gives off hostage vibes, Eldre recreates popular songs with a comedy twist. I don’t know why this was recommended to me by YouTube, but I am eternally grateful.

4. How to make Japanese omelette rice with cats

This channel is the embodiment of this emoji. Jun lives in Japan with his three well-trained cats, Kohaku, Poki and Nagi, and you get to watch them watch Jun cook food. Sometimes he’ll even take the cats on a bike ride to the supermarket with him. Pure, unadulterated, iMovie-edited bliss.

5. Tom Fletcher’s wedding song

This never fails to make my teenage heart weep. Instead of a typical wedding speech, Tom Fletcher decided to sing his vows out. I promise it’s not as corny as it sounds. As the lead singer of the boy band McFly – the band in Lindsay Lohan’s Just my Luck – he altered the lyrics to some of their most popular songs. A Disney level of romance.

6. Chella Man and MaryV’s interview on The Skin Deep

If you haven’t already fallen in love with them online, I’d like to proudly introduce you to Chella Man and MaryV. In this conversation, these two artists and activists speak deeply about their relationship’s inner workings, covering Chella’s transitioning and deafness to Mary’s insecurities, it’s heart-warmingly beautiful and intimate.

7. Ashley aka Bestdressed puts outfits together

Ashley is fast becoming a YouTube household name. Her adventures as a 20-something college graduate in New York, with her signature side serving of dry humour and oversharing, are wildly entertaining. Her achievable fashion tips and styling videos actually give quality advice. 

8. A pastry chef attempts to make gourmet skittles

Try and try again is the mantra of Bon Appétit’s Gourmet Makes series on YouTube, where food editor and pastry chef Claire Saffitz attempts to recreate favourite American childhood snacks. There’s something insanely calming about watching Claire frantically whiz around the kitchen for several days or weeks while you sit back from the comfort of your laptop.

9. An old lady and her dog covers Paul Anka

Welcome to a very wholesome corner of the internet. Malinda Herman and her dog, also known as “old lady and little dog”, are a duo that’s not to be messed with. Hailing from Thailand, Malinda serenades viewers with acoustic covers and a tiny pup tucked close to her bosom. 

10. A tour of David Dobrik’s LA home

Known for his fast-paced sitcom-style vlogs, David Dobrik’s wildly adventurous and admittedly somewhat stupid life is reflected in his LA home. He’s got a functional flamethrower, a non-functional gumball machine, a never-ending supply of Chipotle and a 2-in-1 kids’ strawberry shampoo and conditioner. Huge Tom Hanks in Big vibes. 

11. A TikTok compilation of a dancing ferret

This is the kind of video that you find at 3am and it briefly makes everything seem right in the world.  It’s basically just some thicc ferrets dancing along to TikTok tunes, with the occasional Ratatouille roleplay for good measure.