- 2024 pop culture was wide and vast
- Pop stars like Beyonce Taylor Swift and Charli XCX dominated
- We all flocked to the cinema to see Dune: Part 2 and Wicked
2024 pop culture delivered the goods!
This year was a smorgasbord of great moments in film, TV, music and more. With a backdrop of international political developments, a great summer of sport at the Paris Olympics and we kept ourselves entertained with a wide variety of entertainment.
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To name a just a few, we saw red-carpet drama, the resurgence of the pop girlies and lots of great cinema, like Dune: Part 2.
However, even when treated like this in one calendar year, you still have to whittle down the best of the best.
Here are the most iconic moments of 2024 pop culture
Selena Gomez at the Golden Globes
Selena Gomez was a chaos agent at the annual celebration of film and TV this year. She even got nabbed on the cameras gossiping with her bestie, Taylor Swift. About what? Well, officially, no one knows – but there was speculation it was about her Only Murders in The Building co-stars Martin Short and Meryl Streep and their budding relationship.
Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter
Beyonce proved that she still has it in her to deliver the goods with her eighth studio album. After the success of her previous offering, Renaissance, she made the pivot to country, including a divisive cover of the Dolly Parton classic, Jolene.
Kendrick Lamar vs Drake
Everyone remembers where they were when Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us dropped, a song full of heat against Drake. Along with allegations and other nasty things, it prompted further mudslinging via song. Drake, who denies everything, even issued legal proceedings against Universal, claiming they inflated streaming numbers for the five-time Grammy-nommed song.
Zendaya’s red carpet outfits
Zendaya appeared in some of the biggest blockbusters of the year like Dune: Part 2 and Challengers. Obviously, she had the red carpet fashion to match. What Zendaya will do sartorially in 2025 is probably more of the same.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso
Any list summing up 2024 pop culture that doesn’t mention Sabrina Carpenter isn’t really one you should probably bother with. This ditty was the earworm of the summer and one of the first singles from her aptly titled album, Short’n’Sweet.
Brat Summer
Charli XCX’s sixth studio LP, brat, was the sound of the summer. The garish green hue was inescapable, along with the carefree party girl attitude. Special thanks must go to the Lorde remix of Girl, so confusing and the desire to “work it out on the remix”.
Chappell Roan getting lippy at paparazzi
In 2024, Chappell Roan delivered the musical goods with songs like Good Luck, Babe. However, she also gave the paps the diva treatment they probably deserved while walking the red carpet at the VMAs in September.
The conclusion of the Eras Tour
Taylor Swift’s world domination was nearly complete when she ended her international smash hit tour. The Swiftie bonanza was witnessed by more than 10 million people and grossed well over $2 billion before her final bow in December.
The Wicked press tour
Wicked’s two leads, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Eviro, who played Glinda and Elphaba respectively, and their heightened emotions lead to many head-scratching moments, such as the aftermath of Tracey E Gilchrist telling them that people “holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity”.
Timothée Chalamet embodying Bob Dylan
2024 was rounded off by everyone’s favourite French-American actor, Timothée Chalamet, playing one of the most important American singer-songwriters in this James Mangold-directed biopic, A Complete Unknown. The critics even agreed.
