As 2025 comes to a close—somehow both slowly and abruptly at the same time—we've been thinking about the cultural moments that defined the year. From inescapable soundbites to accidental viral moments to out of touch trips to space to weddings and engagements galore, 2025 was filled with moments that had us laughing, engaged, and shaking our heads.
Before we get into the list, let’s go over some honorable mentions. Kendrick Lamar won 5 Grammys for a diss track written about Drake, Kim Cattrall got married, Lorde ruled the summer, Katy Perry somehow ended up with Justin Trudeau, Hayley WIlliams called out Morgan Wallen for his racist ways, the Wall Street Journal profiled Club Chalamet for whatever reason, we were obsessed with the way Parker Posey pronounced ‘lorazepam’ on season three of ‘The White Lotus,’ and this question was proposed to us: is having a boyfriend embarrassing now?
Ahead, 25 more cultural moments that defined 2025.
There Was No Escaping "Nothing Beats A Jet2 Holiday"
If you opened up TikTok or Instagram reels in the year 2025, you were going to hear this soundbite. If you were curious as to were this meme originated: you're welcome.
Kendrick Lamar's Flared Super Bowl Jeans
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Kendrick Lamar arguably ended his on-going beef with Drake by winning 5 Grammys for a diss track and going on to perform at the Super Bowl. A huge takeaway from the show? Lamar's flared, boot-cut Celine jeans which sold out after his performance.
Katy Perry Took A Trip To Space
instagram.com/katyperry
This image might haunt us well into 2026. Do you remember when Katy Perry went to space with Gayle King, Lauren Sanchez, and more? Of course, how could anyone possibly forget.
Dua Lipa & Callum Turner Got Engaged!
instagram.com/dualipa
An actor and a pop star quietly got engaged this year—and we're finally loud about it when people started snooping.
Justin Bieber Said "It's Not Clocking To You," And The Rest Is History
Justin Bieber's genuine, unfiltered anger turned into a meme and I don't think he was mad about it—the pop star went on to post remixes of his soundbite on instagram.
Jeff Bezos & Lauren Sanchez's Very Tacky Venice Wedding
AbacaPress/Shutterstock
Leonardo Dicaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, Tom Brady, Usher, and many other stars who I don't believe are genuinely friends with Jeff Bezos or Lauren Sanchez arrived in Venice by boat to celebrate this spectacle of a wedding.
A Cheating Scandal At A Coldplay Concert
Truly an iconic moment that raised so many questions for me, the main one being: if you're having an affair, why go to a large and popular concert? Is the risk part of the thrill? Regardless, a moment like this couldn't have been written.
Sydney Sweeney Bad Jeans
Sydney Sweeney swore that she has great jeans and went on to double down on it, her beliefs, and everything that this campaign represented. Let's just call 2025 the year that Sydney Sweeney cancelled herself over and over again and didn't take the very clear, direct opportunity for redemption.
Taylor & Travis's Viral Engagement
After nearly 20 years of breakup songs and detailed, story-like lyrics about awful experiences with exes, Taylor Swift got engaged—and then was heavily criticized for the album she proceeded to release. This raised questions like: does being happy make for a bad songwriter? Something to ponder.
Nicolandria Nation
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Not to pat myself on the back or anything, but I was one of the few rooting for Nicolandria from day 1 of Love Island USA season 7. Sure, the season was kind of a mess, lacked in love and now, NIcolandria is the only final couple still together. But it was a win because we got Nicolandria and Olandria got a man that worships her.
Labubus Were Everywhere
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We can't link this to any particular moment or any particular date—Labubu's were simply everywhere throughout 2025 and at varying price-points, sometimes reaching the thousands.
Lana Del Rey & Ethel Cain Beef Feat. Waffle House
The girls, seemingly out of nowhere, started fighting and we had no idea what to do other than eat it up. This is all hearsay, as most social media arguments are, but apparently there was some competition around which woman is the most popular person at Waffle House?
Belly Chose A Brother & A Bob
IMDB
I have controversial opinions on this, so I'll just keep it simple: Belly spent years destroying the relationship between two brothers and ultimately ended up with the one that everyone thought she should and would. At the end of the day, this is my perspective: after being engaged and almost marrying one brother, you can't just go back to the other one. But she did and I watched it and would watch it again.
Romy Mars Was The Nepo Baby Dreams Are Made Of
@r0mymars OUTSIIDEEEE #FYP
2025 was the year that Romy Mars became the internet's favorite nepo baby—and with 'nepo baby' being an inherently negative term, this is a big win. Sofia Coppola's daughter got Jacob Elordi to dance in a TikTok, DJ'd a Chanel party with fellow nepo baby Sunday Rose, dabbled in pop music, and was happy to embrace being a nepo baby without being defensive.
Charli XCX's Iconic, It-Girl Wedding
instagram.com/charlixcx
Charli XCX's Sicily wedding was it-girl central. Clairo, Gabbriette, Devon Lee Carlson, Julia Fox, Petra Collins, and Caroline Polachek were all present. Plus, this video of Rachel Sennott and Troye Sivan dancing with the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop stays engrained in my memory.
Nicole Kidman & Keith Urban Split After 19 Years Of Marriage
Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Shutterstock
The seemingly perfect and ultra supportive Hollywood partnership called it quits this year—and some interesting information followed, a sobriety clause in their prenup to be specific. Unfortunately, nothing is actually how it seems and we really can't romanticize anything anymore.
Lily Allen Spilled The Tea On "West End Girl"
This was Lily Allen's revenge year following her divorce. This was also the year of Allen's brutal honest about the man she was married to, the infidelity, and more.
Kim Kardashian Made Pubic Hair Underwear
skims.com
Essentially, Kim Kardashian made pubic hair underwear because she thought it was funny and it very quickly sold out. This raised questions about consumerism, the Kardashian influence, and the role of pubic hair in fashion in general.
Addison Rae Officially Reached Pop Star Status
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Addison Rae dropped 'Rae' from her stage name, released a new album, wore iconic tour looks, and certified her pop star standing.
The Louvre Was Robbed In 7 Minutes
Sadak Souici/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock
The Louvre was robbed in 7-8 minutes resulting in perhaps the most popular Halloween costume of 2025. The reactions to the robbery mostly consisted of people criticizing the Louvre's security and wondering how a heist like this could've been pulled off so quickly—totally fair questions, in my opinion.
6-7
I personally still have no idea what this means. To me, a Zillennial, it's just numbers and hand gestures. Do with and make of this video what you will.
Mamdani For Mayor
Zohran Mamdani ran an iconic campaign that resulted in an iconic and historic win. He spent his time connecting to people and addressing the concerns of people and, because of that, the future of NYC looks bright.
Madame Morrible, Flip It Around
This social media trend is so simple that it's silly—essentially, "Wicked: For Good" character Madame Morrible transforms into the Wicked Witch. And 'M' and 'W' are just upside down versions of each other. Get it?
Timothee Chalamet x EsDeeKid
Timotheé Chalamet's entire "Marty Supreme" campaign consisted of viral moments, a viral jacket, and a viral matching Chrome Hearts look with Kylie Jenner. But, after months of people speculating that Timotheé Chalamet was also Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid, he put the cherry on top of his press tour with this collaboration.
