From viral memes and blockbuster films to unforgettable music and fashion moments, 2025 gave us a whirlwind of cultural moments that kept everyone talking. It was a year full of hilarious trends, fandoms coming together, and silly sayings that will never be forgotten. Labubu’s, “6 -7,” Wicked: For Good, and singer Katy Perry going to space were just some of the very memorable moments for pop culture this past year. As we start the new year, are we leaving these pop culture moments in 2025?
Starting off the year was the Super Bowl LIX Half Time performance by Kendrick Lamar. He called out singer Drake with his song “Not Like Us” by staring directly at the camera and singing lyrics directed towards Drake. Fans knew exactly what Lamar was trying to say. Drake’s ex-girlfriend, Serena Williams, also made an appearance, which shocked the internet for sure.
In June 2025, the hit Netflix animated movie K-pop Demon Hunters stunned the world. From the music, visuals, writing, and the animation, it became the most watched original title in Netflix history with over 500 million views. It became a beloved movie for kids and adults all over the world in a short amount of time.
While at a Coldplay concert, a CEO of tech company Astronomer, Andy Byron, was seen on the Kiss Cam very cozy with a woman named Kristin Cabot. However, this woman was not his wife. He was caught red-handed cheating! The two were very embarrassed and started to hide from the camera out of shame. This was very juicy gossip and the internet had a field day with this situation! Both were fired from their jobs.
During this year, Labubu’s were seen everywhere! Launched in 2019 by Pop Mart, Labubu’s come in a blind box where people loved to open up the box to see which different color they could get, or maybe if they could get the super rare black and rainbow Labubu! They have become a global sensation as a collectible or a cute fashion accessory!
Most people around the world can tell you what they waited for every Wednesday from July to September: The Summer I Turned Pretty for Season 3. A beloved show by many that took everyone by surprise each week. The big debate was if you were team Jeremiah or team Conrad.
TikTok allowed pictures to be added into the comment section and people loved it! They enjoy reacting to videos with pictures of the most popular memes.
How could we forget about famous viral sayings throughout the year? Out of all of the viral sayings, “6 7” was most popular for everyone. “6 7” was iconic for many Carolina Forest High School students, which is used as a nonsense joke. Don’t forget about the hand movement with it! Some other famous sayings include “1, 2, 1, 2, 3, release em!,””Coca Cola, HELLO!,””Moonbeam Ice Cream,” and so many more!
To wrap up 2025, Wicked: For Good hit theaters as a massive success! Fans loved the movie and the relationship made between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, but nearly captivated audiences more was Michelle Yeoh, who plays Madame Morrible.
Yeoh stated in interviews, “Madame Morrible M M, flip it around, Wicked Witch!” This iconic line was used in many interviews with Yeoh as a way to show her character might have been the villain all along! Fans loved to do the hand gesture that Yeoh created to go with the joke.
Abbi Lucas, a sophomore at CFHS, shared how the Wicked: For Good was her favorite part of the year.
“The press tour was a great representation of what’s going on in Hollywood right now,” Lucas shared.
Whether it was animated hits breaking streaming records or trends that dominated our feeds all year long, this past year will be remembered for being unserious, eventful, and memorable. What will 2026 bring?
Picture Credit: Google
