Grindr reveals 2024 UNWRAPPED — and users were all hung up on missionary

It isn’t just the likes of Spotify, Apple Music and Letterboxd that release a yearly wrapped: dating apps are doing it too.

Looking back on 2024, LGBTQ+ app Grindr analysed users’ favourite sex positions – as well as cultural moments like Brat summer – and named missionary in first place. That’s right: vanilla sex is back, baby.

Pulling back the curtain on queer relationships and intimacy, Grindr users’ overwhelming love for the position demonstrates to the app’s experts that ‘even in a chaotic world, people are longing for connection and closeness (and maybe a few legs in the air).’

But it wasn’t just the classic missionary – where two people lie face to face – that finally received its flowers.

21% of users said that their favourite sex position was backshots – having sex from behind or ejaculating on a person’s back from behind – while 20% confessed their love for 69ing. We’re glad someone is bringing it back.

There was high praise for side shagging too (10%), as well as the intimacy that comes with the spooning position (10%).

And, as we all know, foreplay is absolutely critical. Skipping it is like ignoring the starter in favour of a main course – and according to Grindr, 37% named kissing as their favourite foreplay activity. N’aw.

There was also a lot of love for oral (32%) and rimming (15%), while hand stuff surprisingly proved less popular at 7%. And it was bad news for frotting (AKA, rubbing or holding two penises together for sexual pleasure), as just 2% labelled this their fave.

But it wasn’t just sex that Grindr’s UNWRAPPED analysed: there were also prizes for the stand-out cultural icons of the year.

Naturally, it was a landslide moment for Charli XCX, who was bestowed with the honours of Mother of the Year, Album of the Year, and Ally of the Year.

Her collaboration with Troye Sivan, SWEAT, was also named Tour of the Year, while Troye was also named Babygirl of the Year. They really did do the most for the girls and gays in 2024.

What are the benefits of the missionary position?

Earlier this year, a Vogue article declared that being ‘beige in bed’ was hot again, referencing the lyrics to Jack Harlow’s TikTok famous song, Vanilla Baby, to prove the point.

As such, many associate so-called ‘vanilla sex’ with the missionary position – and there’s plenty of pleasure to be found from it. In fact, it’s ideal for all the lovebirds out there who love feeling close together.

‘Missionary often gets dismissed as ‘boring’ or ‘vanilla,’ but this view overlooks the profound intimacy and intensity it can offer; eye contact, passionate kissing, the sweat of your partner drip onto your chin – these moments aren’t for the faint of heart,’ explains Zachary Zane, Grindr’s new sex and relationships expert.

‘Many believe such intimacy can only be found with someone they’re involved with, but you can experience deep sexual connection with someone you only meet once, even if it lasts just ten minutes, even if you don’t know their name. Missionary can lead to a powerful shared sexual experience, to a level of intimacy you just don’t get with other positions.’

And if you struggle with pain, missionary is one of the most comfortable as it doesn’t require extensive flexibility or strength.

‘Missionary can be easily modified to accommodate different preferences and needs, such as adjusting leg positions or incorporating pillows for support,’ Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley, conceivingconception.com’s psychologist, previously told Metro.

If you’re trying missionary as a couple, it’s an ideal position to slow down and focus on building a connection.

‘Discussing feelings, needs, and desires can help partners understand each other better and foster a deeper connection,’ Louise reminds us.

‘So, perhaps sharing sexual fantasies (whilst in position) can be a vulnerable but rewarding experience. It allows couples to explore their desires together and potentially incorporate new elements into their intimate life, enhancing mutual understanding and pleasure.’

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