2025 just about had it all—political scandal, economic crisis, dictators. In the wake of these events, social media and technology became even more of an asset in our everyday lives. And for anyone under the age of 20, “breaking news” involved “Love Island” or “Wicked”, rather than Venezuelan dictators or immigration policies. Here are 10 elements of pop culture in 2025 that Gen Z couldn’t stop talking about.

1. “Wicked”

• After an explosive box office opening of about $112.5 million, the “Wicked” franchise saw an even larger debut in “Wicked: For Good”, opening to around $223 million globally. While the vocal talent of the main stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande was a huge focus, what the internet focused on wasn’t necessarily related to the movies. It was the co-stars.
• The press surrounding Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande spiraled quickly into Internet memes, along with criticism. Whether it was Cynthia Erivo tapping her bald head followed by “the concept of (insert something ironic here)”, “I didn’t know this was happening”, or viewers commenting on the co-stars’ weights, “Wicked” took the Internet by storm. Certainly, in every TikTok comment section, users posted photos of Cynthia Erivo and/or Ariana Grande.

2. “Love Island” 

• After a huge season in 2024, featuring names like Leah, Serena, Miguel, JaNa, and Rob, “Love Island USA” made even more landmarks in the 2025 season, Season 7. Beginning with a bang, islander Yulissa was removed after the resurfacing of offensive videos. Islander Cierra was removed for similar remarks online later in the season.
• This season was riddled with controversy, and there were clear favorites. For example, the season’s beloved “Amaya Papaya” became the sweetheart of the show. Other islanders, such as Cierra and Chelley, were dubbed as “mean girls”, creating cliques and targeting other Islanders like Huda. Huda was by far the most polarizing islander, sparking mixed reactions online. Senior Beyan Behmke commented on Huda, saying, “I was not a fan of her, because she was very manipulative towards other Islanders and the boys she was partnered with.” While Islanders like Nic, Olandra, and Amaya have capitalized off of their new social media presence after the show, Huda has understandably been keeping a low profile since the season’s finale.

3. Sydney Sweeney’s Jeans

• Like the shot heard around the world, so was “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”. What some saw as a playful pun, others saw as a dog whistle for white supremacy. Either way, debates between both sides bombarded the internet.
• Sweeney explains that “genes” are passed down in the advertisement and that her jeans/genes are blue. Many saw this as a subtle promotion of eugenics, a way of breeding for “better” traits and often linked to white supremacy. While the message of the advertisement is unclear, there is no doubt that American Eagle intended to spark controversy. According to an article by the New York Times, “The controversy may also work in American Eagle’s favor, which had struggled to generate demand for its assortments.”

4. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

• After Taylor Swift popped into the Kelce brothers’ podcast to announce her new album “The Life of a Showgirl”, the anticipation was palpable. In short, however, fans were not happy with the outcome. Some say the music was “commercial” and “unoriginal”. NPR producer Mia Venkat noted that “the songs sound too similar to other ones she’s written or ones written by other artists” and that fans are primarily “let down that the album didn’t deliver the tight, poppy masterpiece that she promised in the weeks of the rollout”.
• Then, on August 26, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce shared an instagram post, captioned, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married”. While, musically, this may not have been one of Taylor Swift’s biggest years, her personal milestones made waves in the Swiftie community.

5. Timothée Chalamet Lore

• From B list to A list, the stardom of Timothée Chalamet is undeniable. Despite all of his projects thus far, he raved the most about “Marty Supreme”. The film follows a Jewish shoe salesman turned table-tennis champion. The chaotic epic features familiar names such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Odessa A’zion, and Tyler, the Creator.
• At the same time of Marty Supreme’s success, a rumor began. People began to suspect that British rapper EsDeeKid and Timothée Chalamet were one and the same. Senior Ynez Doyle commented, “I was never fully convinced that Timothée Chalamet and Esdeekid were the same person. However, some of the evidence was really convincing. For example, their eyes looked very much alike.” Fueled by Chalamet’s similar eyes, “Lil Timmy Tim” origins, and Chalamet’s noncommittal responses to questioning, the rumor reached its climax when Chalamet appeared alongside EsDeeKid in a remix music video of “4 Raws”.

6. Kendrick Lamar Super Bowl Performance

• Following a remarkable year of music in 2024, including rap “beef” with Drake that left everyone speechless and a new album titled “gnx”, Kendrick Lamar made even more headlines with his Super Bowl halftime show performance.
• With an upcoming tour, “Grand National Tour”, Kendrick Lamar brought fellow artist SZA out on stage, who would be joining him on tour. Lamar also featured Samuel L. Jackson, who was dressed as Uncle Sam, and Jackson called Lamar’s performance “Too loud, too reckless, too ghetto” during the act. Adding fuel to the fire, Lamar stated during the performance, “The revolution will be televised. You picked the right time but the wrong guy.”
• Lamar performed several diss tracks against Drake, such as “Not Like Us”, but fans speculated the performance was indicative of something else. As Lamar said in his performance, “This is bigger than the music”, and Kendrick Lamar was certainly making a bold statement about American politics at the biggest football game of the year.

7. The Coldplay Scandal

• Coldplay, a prominent British soft rock band, featured one of the biggest scandals at one of their concerts on July 16 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Andy Byron, then CEO of software company Astronomer, was seen embracing HR chief Kristin Cabot on the jumbotron. They quickly broke away, shocked at the reveal in front of thousands. Both left the company shortly after the incident.
• The scandal lies mainly in the fact that both executives were married. Byron was legally still with his wife Megan Kerrigan. Cabot later filed for divorce from her husband in August.

8. The Final Season of “Stranger Things” (No Spoilers!)

• The final installment of “Stranger Things”, season 5, was released at the end of 2025. Many stars like Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Millie Bobby Brown, and Noah Schnapp were part of the core cast of the final season.
• After the final episode, some viewers were confused and disappointed, while others were satisfied. Junior Lilly McGann loved the ending, explaining that “they wrapped all of the plots in the story up really well”. Others described the ending as nostalgic. Junior Elyse McGlynn commented, “I thought that it was the perfect ending for the people that have been following since they were really young.”
• To many, the ending was “too simple”, and theories arose from the fandom. The “Conformity Gate” Theory was by far the most popular idea, proposing that the final episode was an illusion by Vecna and there would be a surprise additional episode. Some fans were so disappointed by the finale that, according to The Guardian, “a petition on Change.org demanding that Netflix release the full finale, including deleted scenes, reached nearly 400,000 signatures in a matter of days.”

9. Katy Perry in Space

• On April 14, an all-female crew, featuring Katy Perry, went to space for approximately 11 minutes. On Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin rocket, Perry showed the set list for her tour and sang “What a Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong.
• Many people online criticized her trip as an expensive joyride and excruciatingly tone-deaf. According to an article by BBC, “some critics stress it is tourism, not space science, and professional astronauts undertake missions, including scientific research, for the benefit of humankind.” While people across the globe faced life-threatening problems, pop stars were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to promote their music in space. Special advisor for political affairs at the European Space Agency Dr. Kai-Uwe Schrogl told BBC that Perry’s trip was “a source of frustration for space scientists”, as space flights are intended for “science, knowledge, and the interests of humanity”.

10. The “New 2016”

• A decade later, 2016 is making a comeback. Influencers and people who were in high school in the 2010s have been basking in the nostalgia of the 2016 comeback. A Forbes article remarked that, “TikTok and Instagram users are reposting their favorite pictures from back then, or taking new selfies and videos using TikTok’s “2016” filter, designed to replicate the vibrant color palette of outdated Instagram filters.”
• Music from 2016 is also an important aspect of this throwback. Senior Ava Downey remarks, “A lot of the comeback from 2016 stuff is the music. I see it on my TikTok “for you page” all the time, especially Zara Larson and “Lush Life”.” This turn towards vibrancy, oversharing, and nostalgia offers hints of what may be to come in 2026: a bold call for change and authenticity.