Partway through WWDC 2025, I started tracking every time I heard the word "delightful." I might have missed a few, but there were at least eight times when some exec was insisting to me that an element of the upcoming iOS 26, macOS Tahoe and Apple’s other platforms merited the adjective. And maybe some people truly do feel unfettered joy about UI design, but that's the sort of attitude in these events that makes me roll my eyes.
Apple always tries very hard to inject levity and personality into its keynotes. Most of the time, that winds up leaning on cringe from Craig Federighi, who seems quite affable about being the punchline. Sometimes I smirk a little, but again, more often than not, it's another eye-roll. That was the case this year, as Apple bludgeoned us with a tie-in for its upcoming F1 movie, which already leans pretty hard on product placement.
Then there's the developer devotion. Yes, Apple needs devs to use its tools and programs. Yes, the company can and should give them some kudos. But sometimes, the adulation that I've heard heaped on the WWDC audience in the past is so cheesy, so over-eager that it flies way past sincerity and into schlock.
Just as I was ready to turn off the stream, the curtain rose on a grand piano. And to my surprise, the final three minutes of a full band performing real reviews of apps became the actual highlight of WWDC for me.
This isn't an original idea. Reviews, good and bad, are well-mined fodder for comedians and social media content. Jimmy Fallon, James Corden and others have made musical gags a staple of recent late night talk shows. But the way Apple decided to do it this year was, in a word, delightful.
Each review was heartfelt or dopey or both; see "saved my marriage" for Citymapper and "If this doesn't win best app of the year, I'll eat my shoe" for Lost in Play. It took the essential internet wisdom of "don't read the comments" and turned it into gold. This silly little song managed to do everything Apple wants to do at WWDC in a really amusing package. It's the dev props, it's the splashy production, it's legit entertainment.
For anyone who, like me, was actually humming the tune even after the stream ended, the video is up as a standalone on YouTube and was performed by soul/R&B singer Allen Stone. And to whatever producer came up with this idea: you have my utmost appreciation. Six out of five stars indeed.
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