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May 7, 2021, 14 tweets

The modern world can be divided into two distinct eras: before @TomHolland1996 performed "Umbrella" on "Lip Sync Battle," and after.

Almost everyone knows the performance that amounts to two minutes and 10 seconds of perfection in every sense of the word.
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"Lip Sync Battle" (@lsb) on @ParamountNet would be many Americans' first introduction to Tom Holland.

Producers, choreographers, writers, and dancers revealed to @thisisinsider how the most famous, and beloved, routine in the show's history came to be.

Sony initially approached producers with the idea of doing a Holland vs. @Zendaya episode to promote 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' ahead of its July 2017 release.

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Every song performed on "Lip Sync Battle" has to be cleared by the artists and songwriters involved in the track.

Kuk Harrell, "Umbrella" co-writer and producer, didn’t know who Tom Holland was at the time. 😲

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Once the show decided on "Umbrella," it wasn't certain that they could get the rights, but when it did they rejoiced.

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Britney Spears' "Oops I Did It Again" was prepared as a backup. According to the creative brief viewed by Insider, it would have involved Holland in a classic red latex jumpsuit and a possible cameo from Spears.

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Holland's performance required two distinct looks: a suit-and-tie ensemble for the Gene Kelly "Singin' in the Rain" opener, and a French maid-inspired look from the "Umbrella" music video for the main Rihanna segment.

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Fun fact: Holland used an umbrella that he brought with him the day of the performance. ☂️

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Holland spent the days leading up to the taping working on his routine with Flora and the backup dancers. According to the crew, he didn't do a full dress rehearsal until the same day as the taping.

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The episode was pre-taped in front of a live audience in early April 2017.

Holland has since admitted it was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of his life, and his dad tried to talk him out of doing it.

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During the quick change, Holland was the one who quickly put on the red lipstick. 💄

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When the episode aired on May 7, Holland's "Umbrella" performance instantly went viral.

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Four years later, Holland's "Umbrella" is still a part of the pop-culture conversation. The unofficial "Tom Holland Umbrella Law" holds that anyone who sees a clip of the performance on social media is obligated to reshare it.

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As Patterson put it to Insider, "'Lip Sync Battle' was one of the first shows to be a viral engine."

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