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---
title: Watch Paul McCartney&#x27;s Super-Meta Mannequin Challenge Video
description: Watch the rockstar Beatle&#x27;s version of the viral video trend, appropriately set to hip-hop due Rae Sremmurd&#x27;s &quot;Black Beatles.&quot;
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author: Raisa Bruner
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article:published_time: 2016-11-10T17:36:25.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:38:36.247Z
og:title: Watch Paul McCartney&#x27;s Super-Meta Mannequin Challenge
og:description: The rockstar Beatle got in on the viral video trend for very relevant reasons.
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twitter:title: Watch Paul McCartney&#x27;s Super-Meta Mannequin Challenge
twitter:description: The rockstar Beatle got in on the viral video trend for very relevant reasons.
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# Paul McCartney Just Aced the Most Meta Mannequin Challenge Ever

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> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

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### The seven newsletters

| Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | Subscribers | Open rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
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Source: TIME, August 2026. Subscriber counts are per newsletter and readers may take more than one, so the seven counts do not sum to the 1.1 million+ unique newsletter audience.

### Key data points

| Metric | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 |
| Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 |
| Highest open rate | 54.1%, Health Matters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Largest list | 540,000, The Brief | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 |
| Publishing since | 1923 | TIME |

### TIME Newsletters: key statements

*   Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically.
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### FAQ

#### What newsletters does TIME publish?

TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers.

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![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)


![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Raisa Bruner


Nov 10, 2016 5:36 PM UTC

![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)


![Raisa Bruner](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7115d86fab01279f/698938c17cdbacff0cd5dc5b/r_bruner-web-resized.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Raisa Bruner


Nov 10, 2016 5:36 PM UTC

As the [viral Mannequin Challenge](http://time.com/4561330/celebrities-mannequin-challenge/?iid=sr-link2) has captivated internet audiences and spread to the [upper ranks of celebrity](http://time.com/4562272/hillary-clinton-mannequin-challenge/?iid=sr-link1) awareness, it was only a matter of time until [still-hip rockstar Paul McCartney](http://time.com/4316361/coachella-desert-trip-paul-mccartney-rolling-stones/?iid=sr-link5) got in on the action. His involvement is especially apt because of the song that soundtracks most of the mesmerizing videos, hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles.” That song is, of course, a pun on—and reference to—McCartney’s iconic band.

In the song, rappers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi name drop the band and its leaders John Lennon and Paul McCartney multiple times, comparing Rae Sremmurd to a modern-day version of the leaders of the British Invasion. (Even their official [name on Twitter](https://twitter.com/RaeSremmurd?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor) is currently set to “Black Beatles.”) So then, in a very meta move, McCartney himself took on the challenge on Thursday morning, filming a short clip in which the legendary musician is fastidiously frozen in place next to a piano.

“Love those Black Beatles,” he captioned the video in a tweet that’s been shared more than 25,000 times. Rae Sremmurd retweeted it, too, completing the social feedback circle. McCartney: always relevant.

> [](https://twitter.com/PaulMcCartney/status/796723111710298112)

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