2025 was the 25th year of the millennium, as per the Gregorian calendar. For pop culture, the year was of getting caught at concerts, becoming the internet's comic relief, and finally winning the Grammys.

Keeping their promise, the most popular moments of the year were not a single syllable less than the word.

1. Sabrina Carpenter's record-breakingly quick comeback

Sabrina Carpenter made no haste in getting back on the wave of virality. With the 'Short n' Sweet' album still collecting its stops with a concert, Carpenter dropped a teaser for her now-released single 'Manchild'.

The teaser has gathered over 170 million views on X since then. It even surpassed the teaser for the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6.

2. Coldplay concert date gone wrong

Coldplay's concert cam often spots fans in a warm moment of recognition. For Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, it turned out to be affair-revealing, leading them to resign from their company, Astronomer.

3. Katy Perry goes to space

Katy Perry lights up any place any time, often like 'Firework'. In 2025, she lit up space.

In an all-female, 11-minute trip to the atmosphere's outskirts, Perry held up a daisy to the camera for her daughter. For the fans, she revealed the setlist for her Lifetimes Tour in 2025.

4. K-pop Demon Hunters keep music in check

One would assume that popular streaming services would have real people topping their charts. In 2025, K-Pop Demon Hunters is Netflix's most-watched movie of the year. On cue, the animated HUNTR/X, topped Spotify with 'Golden', as the most listened to females, and the longest running #1.

5. Taylor Swift's love story, finally

Taylor Swift is most known for her autobiographical writing, most of which laments about the finding and losing of love. In 2025, she not only found love but topped Instagram's most liked with her engagement announcement to Kansas City Chiefs' tight end, Travis Kelce.

6. Sydney Sweeney's denim disaster

There is no doubt that Sydney Sweeney can easily catch the eye. When she acknowledged it through American Eagle's marketing, it was turned into a political innuendo.

Sweeney's pairing up with the long-standing denim brand turned into theorizations of her 'right' alignment. That is, until she had to admit defeat and reveal that the theories are, in pure fact, false.

7. Kendrick Lamar's legendary halftime

Michael Jackson had revolutionized the Super Bowl halftime show's stature in 1993. On February 9, 2025, Kendrick Lamar made it taste virality as it turned into the most-watched halftime show of all time.

8. Diddy disclosed

50 Cent chose 2025 as the year to speak not only his, but the hip hop community's truth. Released December 2, 2025, Sean Combs: The Reckoning featured Diddy's assault allegations. In the first week of release, it became Netflix's 2nd most-watched title after Stranger Things season 5, Volume 1.

9. Beyoncé gets her Grammy

Beyoncé has made history in a lot of ways, but in 2025, she broke it. She headlined as the first black woman in 26 years to win Record of the Year after Lauryn Hill, and the first black woman to win Best Country Album.

10. Wicked's wild run

Wicked is a story of two witches. In marketing, Wicked became a speculative story about the relationship between Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

Erivo's reply was as comical as their widely circulated, humongous folder of reactions GIFs. Satirical at best, unverified sources said she claimed a non-demi-curious, semi-binary relationship for themself and Grande.

As of December 2025, Taylor Swift stands mingled, Sydney Sweeney chained up in American Eagle. With the year two days away from its 365th turn, pop culture remains as flavorful as ever.

What do you think of 2025's pop culture highlights? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by

Adiba Nizami

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui