As a new year begins, the world reflects on the cultural milestones that shaped the year. From record-breaking films to chart-topping singles and viral memes, 2024 kept us entertained, inspired, and sometimes, left us needing stitches. Here’s a look back at the highlights of the year in pop culture.
Film and TV
In terms of the film industry, movie-goers had a fantastic time this year visiting cinemas for great blockbusters. One of the year’s biggest hits was Dune: Part Two, where Denis Villenueve’s epic continuation of the sci-fi saga that captivated audiences before brought the same feeling with its breathtaking visuals and gripping storytelling with characters played by Austin Butler, Timothee Chalamet, and Zendaya. Zendaya also starred in Luca Guadagnino’s Challengers, where fans are criticizing the Academy Awards for snubbing the film of any nominations due to its score and exceptional acting. Fans of action and superheroes were in for a treat as Deadpool & Wolverine stormed into theaters, marking the return of Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds’ characters on screen together.
Elsewhere, Disney capitalized on nostalgia with the releases of Moana 2 and Mufasa: The Lion King, the latter detailing the history of Pride Rock before its present day. Fans were ecstatic with the voice casting of Brother star Aaron Pierre, among other fantastic stars such as Donald Glover and Kelvin Harrison Jr doing voices alongside him in the film. The two-hour long feature also includes songs written by audience favorite Lin-Manuel Miranda. Meanwhile, Pixar delivered another emotional rollercoaster with the release of Inside Out 2, reigniting conversations around mental health and the complexities of growing up. Horror fans also weren’t left out this year, as Terrifier 3 continued the gruesome legacy of Art the Clown, with David Howard Thornton reprising the titular role, and A Quiet Place: Day One expanded the chilling universe of its original movies.
To end off the year, the release of Wicked: Part One brought the longtime Broadway sensation to the big screen for all audiences, delighting theater lovers worldwide, with the starring roles of Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo causing watchers to be excited for the second film releasing in November of 2025. Cynthia Erivo has been applauded by critics for doing her own stunts while singing “Defying Gravity” during the film. Audiences were also fascinated with Erivo’s outfits, especially her stunning nails, which were done by British-Ghanaian artist Shea Osei. Both actresses have been nominated for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress at the next Academy Awards, being two of ten categories Wicked is nominated for.
In addition to movies, TV shows like Abbott Elementary also excited audiences with the latest season exploring new relationships and the hardships of the education system. Quinta Brunson, who created and starred in the ABC show, discussed the show’s writing process in an interview with Vulture. “We usually have a conversation with someone from the school district–educators and administrators–to make sure what we’re talking about isn’t completely wrong.”¹ The highly anticipated sequel season to Squid Game also shocked fans, which ended the year off with a bang.
Audiences were surprised to see K-Pop stars Jo Yuri and Choi Seunghyun from groups I*ZONE and BigBang during the new season. Although a highly controversial role for Choi Seunghyun (also known by his stage name T.O.P) due to his past addictions and the character displaying the same issue, he’s been applauded for his acting throughout the show. Both shows are renewed for another season, which audiences are now impatiently waiting for.
Music
Audiences not watching also had a great year of listening. The 2025 Grammys will definitely be packed with fierce competition from outstanding albums and singles. Music in 2024 can be defined by bold reinventions, powerful comebacks, and a continued blurring of genre lines.
In terms of groundbreaking mainstream music, Charli XCX took the industry by storm with Brat, an album that blended hyperpop and club influences into one, earning praise for its experimental sound. Similarly, Billie Eilish stunned fans with Hit Me Hard and Soft, an introspective yet daring project that showcased her growth as an artist, which is projected to win many awards at the 2025 Grammys. Elilish’s website has described the album to be a project that impacts listeners’ “…both lyrically and sonically, while blending genres and frying trends along the way”.² The album takes listeners on an emotional rollercoaster about love, insecurity, obsession, and many other ideas.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet album cemented her status as a rising pop powerhouse alongside Chappell Roan, Lola Young, and Renee Rapp among others. Sabrina Carpenter fans also had the ability to see her on tour for her album since September, and listeners that missed their chance are still able to purchase tickets for tour dates until April in various cities.
Speaking of touring, Rising singer Lola Young has also been advertising her music by performing on the Jimmy Fallon Show² and also beginning international touring dates in 2025. She’s also been on the rise to fame for having a feature on Tyler, the Creator’s Chromakopia.
For rap/hip-hop listeners, Tyler the Creator’s Chromakopia took the world by storm for the last few months of the year by demonstrating his continued evolution as a boundary-pushing visionary with songs like “Judge Judy” and “Darling, I” showing relationships, freedom, and self awareness. “Noid” has been credited with accurately portraying the feeling celebrities get from obsessed fans and paparazzi as well. More on Chromakopia, rapper Glorilla also was one of the many features on the album, with her verse on “Sticky” being considered one of the standout collaborations on the project.
GloRilla has been making waves in the rap industry with hits like “Yeah Glo!” and “Wanna Be” featuring Megan Thee Stallion. Meanwhile, singer-songwriter sensation Doechii released Alligator Bites Never Heal, which brought a fresh, dynamic energy to the hip hop and R&B scene like no other. This energy was brought to the stage as well, as Doechii had the opportunity to perform “DENIAL IS A RIVER” on the Stephen Colbert show³, and the video has been a substantial reason for her rise to fame throughout the year.
Kendrick Lamar’s feud with Drake in 2024 brought listeners to the edge of their seats waiting to hear each artists’ response, and Lamar was able to release five songs against Drake while the Canadian rapper came out with five, reportedly mediocre, songs. Kendrick was able to have two songs hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Drake however only reached 7th with his most listened-to diss.
Through the year, “Not Like Us”’ infectious beat and music video couldn’t be escaped until December, when Kendrick Lamar released another project. Lamar was also able to release GNX at the end of the year, which made fans even more ecstatic to hear new collabs with SZA and Dody6, along with other artists. The Compton rapper is also headlining Super Bowl LIX, performing songs with SZA from GNX and other past albums.
Past Super Bowl performer and all-time music great Beyoncé once again proved her ability to dominate multiple genres with Cowboy Carter, an ambitious country-inspired album that brought a larger audience to her name. SZA’s highly anticipated deluxe album for SOS brought listeners 15 new songs to play in their car as well, and added a new layer to her already well acclaimed album, further solidifying her as a top-tier R&B artist. Meanwhile, Bruno Mars was able to have a great run in the second half of the year, while teaming up with BLACKPINK’s Rosé and Lady Gaga on “APT” and “Die With a Smile” respectively. These songs were able to bridge pop, rock, and soul into two fantastic songs that put Bruno Mars back on the map.
With such an eventful year behind us, 2025 has big shoes to fill. But with fresh talent emerging in both the music and film industry, the future of entertainment looks as thrilling as ever. As streaming and traditional media continue to clash and artists’ anger will constantly rise in new projects, one thing is clear: movies and music will always be in people’s hearts and souls.
¹ Vulture
²Lola Young on Jimmy Fallon Show
³Billie Eilish website
⁴Doechii on Stephen Colbert Show
