The best memes of 2021 so far, from Bernie Sanders sitting to The Weeknd

• Memes continue to be a crucial part of online life in 2021.
• Some of them are tied to major current events or pop culture fixations that dominated social media.
• Popular January 2021 memes included Bernie Sanders sitting and Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License."

It's early 2021, and as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on, we're still spending copious amounts of time online. That means that the meme cycle is just as dizzying as it was in 2020, where memes about toilet paper and washing your hands grew into more surreal reflections of pandemic life.

The first month of 2021 was a whirlwind of current events and pop culture explosions, from President Joe Biden's inauguration to the surprising ascendance of sea shanties after they began to gain a dedicated fandom on TikTok. The meme cycle has continued to reflect our tendencies to react to major news with a flurry of memes, and cling to things that make us feel.

We'll update this list over the course of the year as new memes emerge, but for now, here are the best memes of 2021 so far.

Bernie Sanders Sitting

An image of Bernie Sanders sitting at President Joe Biden's inauguration was the first huge meme of 2021. For at least a week, the photo of Sanders - legs and wrist crossed, hands adorned with mittens, and sitting back in a grey coat - was everywhere online. The creator of his mittens had to clarify that they were sold out as people used the image of Sanders to express certain moods ("out on the town having the time of my life with a bunch of friends"), also photoshopping him into every setting imaginable.

Sea Shanties

In January, several viral tweets blew open the lid on "sea shanty TikTok," turning it into a meme of its own. A video from Scottish postman Nathan Evans singing "The Wellerman" helped to bring the song (which technically isn't even a sea shanty, according to an expert) to a wider audience on TikTok. Spotify streams of shanties skyrocketed; videos like those of brothers Promise and Frank Uzowulu blasting "The Wellerman" in the car went viral.

'Drivers License'

Olivia Rodrigo's debut single, "Drivers License," made waves not only online but also on the Billboard charts. In addition to discourse about a potential love triangle rumored to be a part of the song's narrative, there was also a widespread TikTok trend that BuzzFeed News reported was started by 20-year-old Mel Sommers (@spoiledmel). As part of the trend, people lip-sync to the end of the song's chorus, before falling back onto their bed and lip-syncing along to the bridge.

The song also inspired countless other memes and mashups that spread on social media, making it a true pop culture moment.

'Once COVID is over'

January 2021 felt like a pivotal marker for the coronavirus pandemic - ending what many saw as one of the worst years they've ever experienced, but beginning another year full of unpredictable outcomes. Throughout the duration of 2020, it felt like the goalposts continuously shifted as to when the pandemic could end, and for many, January marked a point of mental exhaustion. That shone through in people comparing saying "once COVID is over" to a variety of impossible outcomes like using the Pythagorean theorem in real life or fixing your sleep schedule.

The Weeknd running through a funhouse

"Blinding Lights" singer The Weeknd delivered not only a killer performance at the 2021 Super Bowl, but also incited one of the year's biggest memes thus far. A clip of the singer running through a fun house-like set with a bewildered expression on his face quickly turned into a way for people to share their experiences of being in a rush ("we gotta go the uber is here") or frantically searching for something ("Trying to figure out which email has the Zoom link in it").

This post will continue to be updated in 2021.