2020 has triggered many an unexpected turn of events.

One of the most surprising of which has come in the form of a recent and profound respect for Jedward. A mere 10 years after shooting to fame on The X Factor, the Dublin twins are suddenly relevant again. Not for their music or their hair, but for their seemingly abrupt interest in politics. Back then, Jedward were adored by some but mocked by many. They were the nation's sweethearts but they were an easy target. They were loved but they were hated. A decade later and the intense vitriol too often aimed at them has all but disappeared. Now, almost all mentions of Jedward on social media are free from animosity. In fact, the vast majority of them are overwhelming positive. "Jedward should be rotating Taoiseachs." "Jedward's public condemnation of the recent anti-lockdown protest is damning." "Jedward's commentary on the Ellen DeGeneres workplace complaints narrative is truly biting." You name it and chances are the twins (or a clever social media manager) have weighed in on it over the past few weeks, all but hurling themselves into the eye of the Covid-commentary storm... And everything else that's been causing mild to considerable controversy in recent days. https://twitter.com/gothxpeach/status/1297463549921579009?s=20   Celebrities who were once painfully innocent and entirely innocuous have lowkey become the voice of the people: angered, straight-talking, and making a lot of sense, actually. Earlier this year, their new and unexpected politicisation (we can call it that, yeah?) was documented online as they were spotted driving through Los Angeles, donning masks, protesting alongside the Black Lives Matter movement. More recently, they have encouraged the use of sun protection (after enduring an intense sunburn, nonetheless), suggested they take over the roles of Taoiseach and Tánaiste, and annihilated those who attended the recent mask-less lockdown protest. It would seem that at the moment, Jedward could do no wrong - at least, in the eyes of the standard liberal Twitter user, who tends to agree with most of what they're saying while also enjoying the fact that it's literally coming from one of Jedward.  https://twitter.com/planetjedward/status/1296124200034459654?s=20 Couple that with the random and yet deeply personal DMs they're sending to anyone, the fact that they were (are?!?) quarantining with Tara Reid in her tiny LA apartment, and their newfound interest in the Irish political sphere and you've got a deeply unproblematic pair that almost anyone can make their new fav. So, why the sudden interest? How come now, after all these years, have Jedward decided to step back into the social media limelight, do decent numbers, and pick fights with members of The Corrs? Is this a strategy to increase their following and stay relevant? Are they trying to bump up the listens on their latest release? Or are they, like the rest of the country, simply fed up, tired, and frustrated, desperately seeking an output for their anger, and gain a bit of delayed respect in the process? Whatever the reason, it's working.