As we approach the tail end of 2024, we’re forced to reminisce over the memorable happenings and sensational blunders that kept our discussions twittering all year long. A cocktail of everything from global sports events to a cacophony of memes, celebrity tiffs, and much-needed intrigues graced our timelines, adding spice and confusion to a year marked by its blend of charm and chaos.
Punctuating the year’s most monumentally misguided moments was the Grammy Awards in February, which decided it would be an excellent idea to pair Luke Combs with Tracy Chapman for a cover of ‘Fast Car.’ Combs’ rendition had stained the prior year with a nomination for a Grammy and chalked up quite a reviled reputation. Chapman, last seen on live TV in 2015, surprisingly vectored into the spotlight to participate in this unexpected duet, suggesting miscalculations even among the industry’s veterans.
The NFL scene brought its own brand of clamor. February saw the Kansas City Chiefs secure their third Super Bowl since 2020, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 25 to 22. Celebrity endorsements were quick to trail behind the win. Pop-singer Taylor Swift was caught on the field celebrating with her boyfriend, Chiefs player Travis Kelce, in a display of PDA that seemed more suited for tabloid fodder than serious sports reporting.
Bucking the trend of bad news was Buckingham Palace’s sobering announcement revealing King Charles III’s cancer diagnosis in February, promptly followed by a similar revelation from Catherine, Princess of Wales in March before she vanished under the cloak of preventative chemotherapy. Rumors swirled and overshadowed the royal personages’ dignified handling of their health challenges, adding to the year’s needless drama.
On the film front, we endured the brain freeze that was the Oscars, dominated by ‘Oppenheimer,’ a film about the creation of the atomic bomb, grabbing seven coveted awards. Despite the usually enchanting appeal of Cillian Murphy and Robert Downey Jr., who received their first Oscars, on film, the show seemed to have been run over by a tractor of over-hyped promotion and tedious speeches.
Turning to television, the former Nickelodeon child star Drake Bell relayed a harrowing account of being molested in his youth, with his confession shaking the foundations of the children’s entertainment industry. The shocking revelations were a stark pointer to the dark underbellies of early stardom, and despite the seriousness of the matter, seemed to have been mired in a circus of media hype and sensationalism.
Music icon Beyoncé persisted in her bid to make any music genre her playground, but her second album in the ‘Renaissance’ series, ‘Cowboy Carter,’ pandered egregiously to its target audience. The country album, replete with partnerships from country music icons and propagated by Beyoncé’s claims of feeling ‘unwelcomed,’ filled the airwaves, subsequently sweeping up 11 Grammy nominations, and catering clearly more to the masses than the connoisseur.
Zendaya’s successful ventures into box office smashes ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Challengers’ did little to attenuate the over-saturated celebrity hype machine. Yet, despite such contrived publicity, these films left undeniable footprints in the sand of 2024, with Zendaya’s star proving alluring for fans and critics alike.
Netflix offered the rather predictable thriller series ‘Baby Reindeer,’ a real-life tale of a man battling a disturbing stalker. While the show hailed from Richard Gadd’s creative prowess and snatched multiple Emmys, the celebrated accolades did little to veil the storyline’s unoriginality and lack of suspense.
Like an invasive melody stuck on repeat, Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ infiltrated music charts and entertainment discussions well into the year. The pop songstress’ attempted surprise double album release at an ungodly post-midnight hour only served to compound the series of groan-inducing publicity stunts clogging the year’s pop culture narrative.
Causing ripples in the world of women’s professional basketball were Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Ambitious rookies with their eyes on the laurel, Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever leading to a stellar rookie season, while Reese’s shining performance with the Chicago Sky was cut short by a wrist injury. Despite the impressive athleticism on display, their stories were tragically overshadowed by media applause for more frivolous celebrity moments.
Billboard charts were made a cluttered domain with butchered renditions ‘Espresso,’ and ‘Please Please Please,’ advertised as runaway hits from Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan respectively. Shaboozey’s ‘A Bar Song (Tipsy)’ managed to etch its name at the No. 1 spot for the lengthiest time, though this was met with much groaning from the discerning listener.
Turning to rap warfare, Kendrick Lamar took his festering feud with Drake to the public arena following the release of Drake’s ‘First Person Shooter’ featuring J. Cole. Drake retaliated with his own bouts of lyrical jabs, but Lamar triumphed with the unsettlingly popular ‘Not Like Us,’ which only served to fuel the celebration of animosity and needless discord in the industry.
Perversely making the year’s popular culture more colorful was Vice President Kamala Harris, who contributed to the year’s viral trends. A frivolous quote about falling from a ‘coconut tree,’ made in light of her declaration as a democratic candidate, ended up creating a hysterical moment, emphasizing the interest in jest rather than substance in the current political climate.
To wrap up the year’s pop culture pandemonium, Taylor Swift concluded her ‘The Eras Tour,’ an overwhelming romp through five continents and 149 shows, making it the top-grossing concert tour of all time. As Swift took her final bow, fans reveled in the special occasion, drawing the curtain on an eventful and somewhat flippant pop culture narrative that made 2024 unforgettable.