As 2024 comes to an end, it’s time to look back at all the pop culture moments that we couldn’t stop talking about.
From the Summer Olympics to “Glicked” 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.
Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman have a ‘Fast Car’ duet at the Grammys
The 2024 Grammy Awards in February brought Luke Combs and Tracy Chapman together for a moving cover of her song “Fast Car.” Combs’ cover was nominated for a Grammy and became a hit in 2023. Chapman’s appearance was a surprise. Prior to the Grammys, she had last performed on live TV in 2015.
Kansas City Chiefs win the 2024 Super Bowl
The Kansas City Chiefs won their second Super Bowl in a row, and their third since 2020, in February when they defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25-22.
The moment was big for Chiefs fans — and big for Swifties. Taylor Swift celebrated the victory with boyfriend Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Chiefs, on the field and the two shared a kiss that broke the internet.
King Charles III and Kate Middleton announce cancer diagnoses
In February, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that King Charles III had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of cancer.
The next month, Catherine, Princess of Wales, shared in a video message that she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy following a cancer diagnosis.
The announcement came after rumors circulated about the former Kate Middleton’s health and whereabouts when she stepped away from the public eye for the treatment.
‘Oppenheimer’ wins best picture
The Barbenheimer phenomenon reached an end at the Oscars on March 10. “Barbie” was up for eight Oscars and won one for best original song. “Oppenheimer” was up for 13 and won a total of seven, including best picture.
The Christopher Nolan epic about the creation of the atomic bomb also swept acting categories. Stars Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr. won their first Oscars for best actor and best supporting actor, respectively.
Drake Bell shares he was sexually abused as a child star on Nickelodeon
Drake Bell, who starred on the Nickelodeon shows “Drake and Josh” “The Amanda Show” and more, revealed in the “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” that he was the previously unnamed minor in the 2004 sexual assault conviction of Brian Peck, his former acting and dialogue coach.
Bell further discussed the traumatic experience in a conversation with NBC News’ Kate Snow on TODAY, saying his son inspired him to come forward.
Beyonce’s ‘Cowboy Carter’
Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter,” the second installment in her “Renaissance” trilogy, arrived on March 29 and further proved that the music icon could take on any genre. Beyoncé said, in the lead-up to the album, that “Cowboy Carter” was born from an experience where she “did not feel welcomed,” leading to speculation that she was referring to her 2016 CMAs performance.
The country album featured a brassy version of “Jolene” and collaborations with country music legends and rising stars, like Brittney Spencer, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Shaboozey and Willie Jones. “Cowboy Carter” earned Beyoncé 11 nominations at the 2025 Grammys, the most of any artist.
Zendaya rules the box office with ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Challengers’
Zendaya started the first half of the year with two hit movies that came in first place at the box office. In March, she co-starred with Timothée Chalamet, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and more in “Dune: Part Two.” At the time, the sci-fi sequel landed the biggest domestic opening of the year with $81.5 million, Variety reported.
About a month later, Zendaya’s fans flocked to theaters again to see her steamy tennis movie “Challengers.”
“Challengers” has been nominated for a 2025 Golden Globe and Zendaya also received a nomination for best actress in a motion picture (musical or comedy). “Dune: Part Two” is also up for best motion picture but in the drama category.
‘Baby Reindeer’ breaks the internet
“Baby Reindeer” premiered on Netflix in April and quickly became a must-see series.
The thriller, created by and starring Richard Gadd, told the story of a man dealing with a stalker, and was based on his real experiences. Fiona Harvey, the woman who allegedly inspired the character Martha, sued Netflix in June, seeking more than $170 million in damages.
The showed went on to win multiple Emmys in September, including outstanding lead actor for Gadd.
Taylor Swift releases ‘The Tortured Poets Department’
Swifties were eagerly anticipating Taylor Swift’s newest album, “The Tortured Poets Department” following her surprise announcement at the 2024 Grammys in February.
The pop icon did not disappoint. In fact, she had another surprise. Shortly after 2 a.m. ET, Swift announced this was actually a “secret double album.”
“I’d written so much tortured poetry in the past 2 years and wanted to share it all with you, so here’s the second installment of TTPD: The Anthology. 15 extra songs. And now the story isn’t mine anymore… it’s all yours,” she wrote while revealing the whopping 31-track album.
“TTPD” went on to dominate the charts all year, landing at No. 1 on Billboard’s 200 list for 16 total weeks as of Dec. 10. Swift also added a new “TTPD” section to her “Eras Tour.”
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are drafted into the WNBA
Caitlin Clark officially said “goodbye” to her historic run at the University of Iowa when she was drafted No. 1 by the Indiana Fever, launching the the start of her record-breaking rookie year in the WNBA. She helped her team reach the playoffs, but they were eliminated in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
Meanwhile, fellow rookie Angel Reese, who led her Louisiana State University teammates to a college championship last year, was drafted by the Chicago Sky and also broke records during her season. Her rookie year was cut short due to a wrist injury.
Sabrina Carpenter, Shaboozey and Chappell Roan take over the charts
Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Shaboozey, who are all up for best new artist at the 2025 Grammys, dominated Billboard and streaming charts this year.
Carpenter’s earworms “Espresso” and “Please Please Please,” Chappell Roan’s album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess,” which came out in 2023, and Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” were stuck on replay. Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” tied for the most weeks ever at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with 19 weeks.
Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar
For years, there has been tension brewing between Kendrick Lamar and Drake. But the rappers aired out their many grievances with each other following Drake’s collaboration with J. Cole on “First Person Shooter” last year.
That song unknowingly launched a rap battle for the ages — that J. Cole bowed out of — as Lamar fired off diss tracks directed at Drake, such as “Like That,” “Euphoria”, “6:16 in LA” and “Meet the Grahams.” Drake responded with a few jabs of his own on “Push Ups” and “Family Matters” before Lamar effectively ended the battle with his massive hit “Not Like Us.” The song became ubiquitous and landed Lamar multiple Grammy nominations.
‘BRAT’ summer
Lime Green became the unofficial color of the summer as Charli XCX’s album “Brat,” which was released June 7, took over social media.
The singer herself described the aesthetic in a TikTok video, saying “brat” represents “that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and maybe says some dumb things sometimes. Who feels herself but then maybe also has a breakdown. But kind of like, parties through it, is very honest, very blunt. A little bit volatile. Like, does dumb things. But it’s brat. You’re brat. That’s brat.”
‘Love Island USA’ Season 6 phenomenon
“Love Island USA” had mostly existed in the shadow of “Love Island UK” before stepping into the spotlight this summer with its sixth season. The Peacock reality series became the must-see show of the summer as viewers became invested in the drama, friendships and relationships.
Speaking about “Love Island USA” finally taking off, executive producer Simon Thomas told TODAY.com, “It’s not a science. It’s not even an art, necessarily. It’s magic.”
Alec Baldwin’s manslaughter charges are dismissed
Alec Baldwin’s involuntary manslaughter trial involving the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the movie “Rust” in 2021 was dismissed in July.
“There is no way for the court to right this wrong,” First Judicial District Judge Mary Marlowe Sommer said in her ruling. “The sanction of dismissal is the only warranted remedy.”
She dismissed the case with prejudice as Baldwin sobbed and hugged his wife, Hilaria Baldwin.
Coconut tree meme
Vice President Kamala Harris asking, “You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” before laughing went viral this summer after President Joe Biden ended his re-election campaign and Harris as the democratic candidate.
Harris originally asked the question in a speech in May 2023. The moment came when she was paraphrasing her late mother, Shyamala Gopalan.
“My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?’” Harris said.
The “coconut tree” meme resurfaced during her presidential campaign. It trended on different social media platforms, and even had a crossover with “Brat” summer.
2024 Paris Olympics
Over the summer, Team USA dominated at the 2024 Paris Olympics, racking up 40 gold medals (tying with China) and 126 total for the most out of any country.
Star U.S. athletes like Simone Biles, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Katie Ledecky, Ilona Maher, Stephen Nedoroscik, Sha’Carri Richardson and Noah Lyles had memorable wins. The Olympics also spurred memes and moments, like twosharpshooters the internet couldn’t get enough of and a muffin craze.
During the closing ceremony, the world was treated to a sneak peek of what to expect when the Olympics will land in Los Angeles in 2028.
‘It Ends With Us’ controversy
Fans of Colleen Hoover’s best-seller “It Ends With Us” were looking forward to seeing Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively bring the characters and the book’s heavy subject matter to the big screen.
The movie ended up having a huge run at the box office, bringing in over $100 million domestically in its first 11 days, as Variety reported.
But, the movie’s success was eclipsed by rumors of a possible feud between Baldoni and Lively. Social media users noticed that Baldoni did not promote the film with the rest of the cast and some also criticized the marketing for not reflecting the movie’s serious tone. While Hoover penned a sequel, there haven’t been any recent updates about a follow-up movie.
Jennifer Lopez files for divorce from Ben Affleck
After two years of marriage, Jennifer Lopez filed for divorce from Ben Affleck on Aug. 20. Earlier the same year, Lopez released a new album and documentary about her love story with Affleck.
The couple have had a long history together. They first dated and got engaged in 2002. They broke up two years later but reunited in 2021, delighting fans. They tied the knot in July 2022 in Las Vegas before holding a separate ceremony in Georgia the next month. The day of Lopez’s divorce filing marked the anniversary of their nuptials in Georgia.
Lopez spoke about the breakup in an Interview Magazine story published in October, calling it “probably the hardest time in my life.”
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs is arrested
In September, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York City reported that Sean “Diddy” Combs had been arrested following multiple sexual assault and misconduct lawsuits filed against him.
He was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation for purposes of prostitution, NBC News reported. His criminal trial is set for May 2025 and he has been denied bail.
Jimmy Carter turns 100
On Oct. 1, Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president, turned 100 years old. The former commander-in-chief — who is the longest living president — made history as the first to become a centenarian.
Carter previously entered hospice care in February 2023. His grandson Jason Carter said in an interview with Boston public radio in September that the former president is “very physically diminished” but mentally is “still there and participating in the world.”
Liam Payne dies
On Oct. 16, reports of Liam Payne’s tragic death circulated over social media. The singer was found dead in Buenos Aires, Argentina after falling from a third floor balcony.
One Direction fans and its members Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson grieved the untimely passing of Payne, who was 32 years old. In tributes, his former band members referred to Payne as their “brother” and expressed their love and gratitude for the memories they shared together.
Jake Paul defeats Mike Tyson
The repeatedly delayed boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul finally happened on Nov. 15 at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Despite the fuss surrounding the Netflix event, viewers were disappointed to see Tyson barely land any punches against Paul during the eight rounds. Paul was declared the winner by the three judges in a unanimous decision.
‘Glicked’
“Glicked,” the sequel to “Barbenheimer,” delivered as the release of “Wicked” and “Gladiator II” on the same day lit up the box office. Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande defied gravity and built an unbreakable friendship with their musical, delighting audiences.
Meanwhile, Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal traveled to ancient Rome for Ridley Scott’s sequel.
Both movies were successful, but “Wicked” made history with its $114 million debut at the domestic box office, the biggest ever for a Broadway adaptation according to CNBC.
‘The Eras Tour’ ends
Nearly two years after she first welcomed fans to “The Eras Tour,” Taylor Swift took her final bow on stage as her last concert concluded.