2024 was a significant year in the landscape of pop culture, as new faces dominated the internet and became household names worldwide. Witnessing a spike in her fame at the start of the year was Sabrina Carpenter, opening for Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’. With every performance, Carpenter’s fame expanded, turning her into a social media sensation. Even her relationship with actor Barry Keoghan, that took shape in the preceding year, garnered attention, especially after he was seen supporting her during her Coachella performance in April.
Carpenter’s performance at Coachella, although not the headliner, generated substantial buzz due to her legendary ‘Nonsense’ outros. In June, she shared plans about her upcoming album, ‘Short n’ Sweet’, released in August to considerable fanfare. One of the tour’s grand highlights included her humorous ‘arresting’ of SNL celebrity Marcello Hernandez, who attended her concert as Domingo, his character from a comedy skit where he danced to Carpenter’s song remix.
As attention shifted towards Charli XCX, her album ‘Brat’ released in the summer of 2024, defined the season for her fans and declared, what was known curiously as ‘brat summer’. Charli’s interpretation of a ‘brat’ seemed to reflect a messy, party-loving girl, prone to saying absurd things, but who remained honest, straightforward, and somewhat volatile. As per Charli, their fans were part of the ‘brat’ culture.
Ascending to stardom in 2024 was singer Chappell Roan, who shone exceptionally with her hit song ‘HOT TO GO’. Performing at several music festivals throughout the year, her song attracted a significant following, with enthusiastic fans choreographing dances in sync with the lyrics.
Two exceptional athletes captured attention at the 2024 Summer Olympics: ‘pommel horse guy’ Stephen Nedoroscik and rugby player Ilona Maher. Nedoroscik, a member of the United States gymnastics team, grabbed headlines with his unique eyewear-removing pre-performance ritual, before landing a bronze for his team – the first time since 2008.
Ilona Maher, on the other hand, was a standout rugby player for the U.S. Olympic Rugby Team. Her strong performance for the team went viral, and she played a pivotal role in contributing to the U.S’s first-ever bronze medal win in the sport.
Moo Deng, Thailand’s pygmy hippopotamus, took social media by storm in 2024. Following the adorable hippo’s birth at the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, photos and fascinating facts captivated netizens. Bizarrely people began to ridicule Moo Deng through memes when it was wrongly rumored to have predicted Donald Trump’s victory in the Presidential race.
Jools Lebron, a beauty influencer, rose to fame on TikTok with videos showcasing how to adopt a ‘demure’ approach to everyday life, including makeup application. Her unique content led to ‘demure’ being declared as dictionary.com’s word of the year in 2024. Lebron shared guidance on introducing ‘demure’ into daily routines, ranging from dinner plans to the application of deodorant.
As per dictionary.com, ‘demure’ represented an individual who was shy, modest and tended to reserve their opinions. The authority and uniqueness dwelling in these words further fueled their viral journey, securing its position as the buzzword of the year.