Recap Of The Year
By: Neo Mosimane Sala
IST - Tanzania
How much do you remember from 2025? True or false:
● Tiktok was banned for more than a week: T or F
● Katy Perry went to space: T or F
● Demon Hunters became the most streamed film on Netflix: T or F
● SZA was the Superbowl’s half-time performer: T or F
● NASA astronauts were trapped in space for 9 months: T or F
● An African pope was elected during the conclave: T or F
● The Brutalist won best picture at the Oscars: T or F
● Taylor Swift released an album titled “The Life of A Showgirl”: T or F
● Katseye faced backlash after being part of a controversial jean add: T or F
● Alex Warren won best new artist at the VMA’s: T or F
From a temporary TikTok ban to mini fluffy monsters with huge ears and eyes that could send
you into a coma, 2025 was packed with moments that will surely go down in pop-culture history.
In our fast-moving world, it’s easy to forget iconic events—like getting caught cheating at a
Coldplay concert—so here I am to recap this wild year for you.
Welcome to 2025 Wrapped:
We start the first quarter in the United States, where a 14-hour TikTok ban shook the internet and wildfires continued across California. February brought the Grammys, with artists like Chappell Roan, Beyoncé, and Kendrick Lamar -who also headlined the Super Bowl Halftime Show- are taking home awards. Oh, and those astronauts who were stuck in space? They finally returned.
In the second quarter, Katy Perry and her team launched into space... for about ten minutes. Sadly, Pope Francis passed away, and Pope Leon was elected just a month later. May introduced us to Italian Brainrot -basically AI creatures with exaggerated Italian names (think “Ballerina Capuccina”). The MET Gala theme was “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style.” In the music world, Taylor Swift officially regained ownership of all her masters (yes, the ones stolen from her). Eurovision also took place, with JJ winning for Austria.
Now onto the third quarter, when we all collectively realised we’re closer to 2050 than 2000... I feel old. This was also when the tiny, unsettling creatures known as Labubu’s suddenly went viral. The song of the summer was Jet2Holiday (Nothing beats a...), and the moment of the summer was the infamous Coldplay concert (you know the one). In August, Taylor Swift announced a new era and got engaged, while Cardi B was on trial for... something? After Sydney Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle ad allegedly tied to white-supremacist imagery, Katseye hit back with a diverse GAP Jeans performance that, somehow, united the entire world.
And finally, the last quarter of the year. Bad Bunny was announced back in September as the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show performer, so if you don’t want to feel excluded, maybe start practicing your Spanish, no te parece? Cardi B and Nicki Minaj fans witnessed their explosive Twitter feud, which I absolutely cannot get into here. The iPhone 17 lineup dropped, with many saying it looks exactly like the previous models... which is crazy because they made the camera bigger. Shockingly, jewels were stolen from the Louvre, and apparently, no one noticed -still not sure where my grandmother’s “new” tiara came from. Billie Eilish also made a memorable speech on short billionaires... I think that’s what it was about. And this month, Grammy nominations were revealed, with Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga leading the list.
That was fun, wasn’t it?
I hope you had a great year, and even though I couldn’t fit everything in (blame the no-nonsense policy), I hope this refreshed your memory on the many lives we lived in 2025. So, in case I don’t see you... until next year!
(P.S. Don’t forget to check your Spotify Wrapped!)
