What a year it’s been. If there’s one thing 2025 proved beyond doubt, it’s that pop culture is no longer something we simply consume – it’s something we collectively experience in real time. From the Labubu craze to the Coldplay kiss-cam and everything in between, this year delivered memes, tragedies, feuds, and controversies that we won’t forget any time soon.
Amid all the breaking news, videos, songs, and posts that flooded social media timelines, there were quite a few topics that stood out among the rest. So, what were some of the biggest pop culture moments of the year? Let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Justin Bieber’s paparazzi moment
@dramamamaworld I just know he’s been waiting to do this 🙌🏽🤣🫶🏽 #justinbieber #haileybieber #husbandwife #crashout #family #paparazzi
Justin Bieber accidentally unleashed the meme of the year after a strange encounter with paparazzi. His phrase “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business.” – a scrambled blend of internet slang and misused AAVE, has since exploded across social media. People were lip-syncing and parodying his unintentionally iconic line, turning a tense celebrity moment into a meme mine. It reached its ultimate form as a track on his newest album, “Swag II,” in collaboration with Druski.
Gap x KATSEYE
After gaining popularity from their performance at Lollapalooza with their intricate dance routines, the girl group KATSEYE starred in an advertisement for Gap. Thanks to the girls’ infectious dance to Kelis’ ‘Milkshake’ throughout the campaign, the throwback anthem saw a revival this year. Their choreographed dance went viral, with many people trying to recreate their moves on TikTok.
Labubu mayhem
Hate it or love it, one can’t deny the effect of the cheeky doll. The devious cartoon character created by Hong Kong-based artist Kasing Lung dominated every city, looped around handbags with insane queues surrounding Pop Mart stores for a chance to get a mystery Labubu, hidden in a blind box. Blackpink’s Lisa’s obsession with it may have helped the figurine craze, especially in Southeast Asia.
KPop Demon Hunters
The animated fantasy adventure film inspired by K-pop and Korean mythology wasn’t only topping charts globally, but it also got a soundtrack that basically took over the world. To no surprise, “KPop Demon Hunters” broke records as the most-watched original title in the history of Netflix. The cherry on top? Its soundtrack, mostly ‘Golden’ and ‘Soda Pop’, had both children and adults alike humming the tune for days. To top it off, the songs became the first film soundtrack to have four songs in the top ten of the Billboard 100.
Beyonce’s album first-time win
A historic victory for the winning artist in Grammy history; Beyoncé finally won her first Album of the Year for “Cowboy Carter”, despite having been previously nominated four times. Aside from it being her first and long-overdue win, it was also the first time a Black woman won the award in the 21st century, the last winner being Lauryn Hill for “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” 26 years ago.
Taylor Swift’s engagement
Taylor Swift said “yes” to Travis Kelce, and it took the internet by storm. To Swifties who came of age alongside Swift, her engagement is the fairy-tale ending they’ve spent nearly two decades rooting for. It not only made her fans elated, but also left many celebrities and A-listers like Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez, and Prince Harry and Kate Middleton excited, even congratulating her by liking and reposting the engagement post.
Coldplay’s kiss-cam
When the kiss-cam at a Coldplay concert landed on a couple who tried (but failed) to duck out of the spotlight, the internet immediately got to work. In hours, the clip was just about everywhere. People knew he was having an affair, and kiss-cams at other stadiums started recreating the moment. Additionally, the fallout was swift for both former Astronomer CEO Andy Bryon and HR executive Kristin Cabot, as both resigned from their positions, and he was immediately divorced.
The Louvre heist
@alliebunn_ edit – comments are turned off because some people were being weird and threatening each other, as well as making disgusting remarks regarding sensitive topics ! It might not seem like a big deal to some people, but some of the comments were genuinely just straight up disgusting. I never intended this video to blow up nor did I post it with negative intent. It was never my intention to “glamorize” theft, I would never do that. I just saw others making comedic videos about the heist and I got an idea and decided to post it. I deeply apologize if this came out as tone deaf or insensitive. #louvre #paris #fyp #targetaudience #viralvideo – pics r not mine, they’re from pinterest ! <3
Like an incident that belongs in a movie, the heist that happened at the Louvre – where $100 million worth of crown jewels were deftly stolen by robbers within 10 minutes in broad daylight was so surreal that people were making memes out of it, posting ‘POV’ videos of robbing the museum on TikTok, and even creating themed playlists for the heist. They have also turned it into a Halloween costume: think black jumpsuits, leather gloves, sleek sunglasses, and glittering imitation jewels.
