I first heard about Clubhouse through word of mouth. One Friday a few weeks ago, feeling officially Zoomed-out and longing for a weekend that extended beyond grocery shopping and binge-watching Euphoria, a friend WhatsApped me, asking if I had an invite to get on to the new audio app, described on its website as “a new type of social product based on voice.”
I hadn’t, and fearing that I was late to the party, I immediately began sleuthing, impatience and severe FOMO fueling me to download the latest technological trend that might simultaneously quell my boredom and quench my thirst for a semblance of ‘normality’ (a laughable notion in 2020, I know). I was disappointed to receive a message stating I was on the virtual waitlist. Frustratingly, you can’t see anything about the app unless you’re invited to join — or you’re a celebrity, such as Drake, Ashton Kutcher or Virgil Abloh.
What does the Clubhouse app look like inside?
After finally obtaining an invite through a friend, my first port of call was exploring rooms. The app appears on your phone like all apps and once you’re in, Clubhouse feels both chaotic and exciting. You’re greeted with a pretty plain-looking homepage that lists the discussions that are happening at that time, as well as chats scheduled for later.
Your algorithm corresponds with both your address book and who you choose to follow — so, depending on your field of work/interest/friends, you’ll see chat rooms hosting talks on music, film, culture, race, tech and beauty. I was instantly hooked: names of celebrities who were normally out of reach were suddenly a click away. Scheduled panel talks were being queued on my feed and fellow peers were virtually moderating rooms.
