Mashable 101: The creators shaping the internet in 2026
By
Crystal Bell
Digital Culture Editor
Crystal Bell is the Culture Editor at Mashable. She oversees the site's coverage of the creator economy, digital spaces, and internet trends, focusing on how young people engage with others and themselves online. She is particularly interested in how social media platforms shape our online and offline identities.
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Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/© COVER
Virtual performer Mori Calliope has become one of the most recognizable figures in the rapidly expanding world of VTubing. Performing as an animated reaper character with pink hair and a scythe, Calliope is part of Hololive Production, the talent agency widely credited with helping transform virtual streaming into a global entertainment industry.
Since debuting as part of Hololive’s English-language lineup, Calliope has built a massive international audience. Her YouTube channel boasts more than 2.6 million subscribers, and she draws more than 600,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, where her songs regularly rack up millions of streams.
Unlike VTubers who focus primarily on livestreaming, Calliope has established herself as a recording artist whose music blends hip-hop, J-pop, and anime-inspired storytelling. In 2025, she expanded that crossover further by performing an opening theme for the anime Gachiakuta, marking a rare moment for an English-speaking VTuber in the anime music space.
Mashable Trend Report
That visibility has helped position Calliope as one of the clearest examples of how virtual performers are expanding beyond streaming into music, animation, and live entertainment. As she told Mashable, “We’re just like any other musicians. The only difference is how we look.”
For fans, the animated avatar isn’t a barrier to authenticity. It’s simply the stage.
From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage or see more of this year’s Mashable 101 to discover the internet's most exciting voices.
Crystal Bell is the Culture Editor at Mashable. She oversees the site's coverage of the creator economy, digital spaces, and internet trends, focusing on how young people engage with others and themselves online. She is particularly interested in how social media platforms shape our online and offline identities.
She was formerly the entertainment director at MTV News, where she helped the brand expand its coverage of extremely online fan culture and K-pop across its platforms. You can find her work in Teen Vogue, PAPER, NYLON, ELLE, Glamour, NME, W, The FADER, and elsewhere on the internet.
She's exceptionally fluent in fandom and will gladly make you a K-pop playlist and/or provide anime recommendations upon request. Crystal lives in New York City with her two black cats, Howl and Sophie.
