About

Modelland refers to a 2011 young adult fantasy novel written by model and TV personality Tyra Banks that became the subject of viral memes and online discourse in June 2026 after users on X / Twitter rediscovered an accompanying promotional song created for the book. The song's strange vocals, surreal lyrics and bizarre early-2010s production style prompted widespread mockery, fascination and ironic appreciation online.

As clips of the song circulated in mid-2026, numerous internet users began revisiting the novel itself, sharing screenshots of its unconventional prose, elaborate worldbuilding and unusual character names, particularly the protagonist Tookie De La Crème.

History

Modelland was published on April 26th, 2011, by Del Rey Books.^[1] Conceived as the first installment in a planned book series, the novel follows Tookie De La Crème, a teenager who is unexpectedly accepted into the prestigious and mysterious academy known as Modelland, where aspiring models known as Intoxibellas are trained. Despite plans for sequels and a broader franchise, no direct follow-up novel was published.

The book's description on Goodreads^[9] reads:

No one gets in without being asked. And with her untamable hair, large forehead, and gawky body, Tookie De La Crème isn’t expecting an invitation. Modelland—the exclusive, mysterious place on top of the mountain—never dares to make an appearance in her dreams.

But someone has plans for Tookie. Before she can blink her mismatched eyes, Tookie finds herself in the very place every girl in the world obsesses about. And three unlikely girls have joined her.

Only seven extraordinary young women become Intoxibellas each year. Famous. Worshipped. Magical. What happens to those who don’t make it? Well, no one really speaks of that. Some things are better left unsaid.

Thrown into a world where she doesn’t seem to belong, Tookie glimpses a future that could be hers—if she survives the beastly Catwalk Corridor and terrifying Thigh-High Boot Camp. Or could it? Dark rumors like silken threads swirl around the question of why Tookie and her new friends were selected … and the shadows around Modelland hide sinister secrets.

Are you ready? Modelland is waiting for you …

Online Presence

On June 7th, 2026, X^[2] / Twitter user @sourkrowt shared a video of the song Tyra Banks made for her dystopian young adult novel Modelland and called it "the worst song of all time." The post received over 5.2 million views and 34,240 likes in just over one week.

The post sparked widespread discussion of the song across X, where users mocked its lyrics, production and dramatic delivery while expressing curiosity about the novel it was created to promote.

On June 8th, 2026, X^[3] user @clubratt posted a screenshot of Modelland’s synopsis as a follow-up to the viral song. The post received over 507,000 views and 9,320 likes in under one week.

On June 11th, 2026, X^[4] user @horsebjork shared the original Modelland teaser trailer. The post received over 445,000 views and 3,270 likes in about four days.

The next day, the same X^[5] user shared a welcome video from the official Modelland Google Plus page. The post received over 300,000 views and 6,610 likes in about three days.

On June 13th, 2026, X^[6] user @EvilBarbieDoII posted pictures from a Modelland promo event, pointing out how serious Banks took the project. The post received over 312,000 views and 9,720 likes in two days.

The trend eventually spread to other platforms such as TikTok, where users posted reactions to the viral song and jokes about the book's unusual worldbuilding.

On June 14th, 2026, TikTok^[7] user @deanjbgray reacted to the infamous Modelland song with visible disbelief. The video received over 240,700 views and 39,100 likes in one day.

The same day, TikTok^[8] user @wendyforever shared a clip of Tyra Banks discussing the Modelland story. The video received over 240,300 views and 27,000 likes in one day.

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References