Thread by @EntInsider

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.
insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

"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.

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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. 😲

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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.

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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.

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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.

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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.

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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.

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…

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

insider.com/tom-holland-ze…