There’s no doubt that the 2021 emoji list is shaping up to be one of the most popular in history. Here are just a few of the most popular emojis that are expected to make an appearance on the list:

  1. Baby Boomer: This emoji is typically used to represent elderly people or those who have experienced a lot in life. It can be used as a way to show support for someone else during their time of growth and change.
  2. Grumpy Cat: This emoji is often used as a way to express frustration or anger. It can also be used as an image macro for fun and silliness.
  3. Star Wars: This emoji is typically used as a symbol of hope and strength in times of darkness or adversity. It can also be used as part of an image macro featuring characters from the movie franchise.

“According to data collected by the Unicode Consortium, the not-for-profit organization responsible for digitizing the world’s languages, Tears of Joy accounts for over 5% of all emoji use,” wrote  Jennifer Daniel, Unicode Emoji Subcommittee Chair, in a blog post.

Coming in second place for 2021 was the heart emoji, and then there was a steep dropoff before the rolling on-the-floor laughing emoji ranks. Here’s the complete top ten list of emoji according to the Unicode Consortium:

😂 ❤️ 🤣 👍 😭 🙏 😘 🥰 😍 😊

Overall, the feel of the emoji offered by 2021 seems to be love and hope. We were crying tears of joy and extending love to our friends and loved ones all over the place. The only sad emoji in the top ten comes in at number five, which paints the year in a pretty positive picture. That makes sense, as many places lifted lockdowns and allowed people to see their friends and loved ones for the first time in a long time.

What will 2022’s top emoji list look like? It all depends on what 2022 looks like as a year.