School Year In Review through media

It's been a long time since we started in August, let's look at some of the most memorable moments, movies, and music from this school year.

Aug to Sep 2025

Viral Trends & Pop Culture Moments

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Wedding Announcement

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce announced their engagement on Instagram, and the post earned over 37 million likes and became one of the fastest-growing celebrity posts ever, passing 1 million reposts within 6 hours. Fans immediately began creating wedding prediction reaction compilations across platforms.

Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married. -- Taylor Swift

The Sydney Sweeney Denim Controversy

Sydney Sweeney and American Eagle faced major online backlash after the slogan “Sydney Sweeney has great genes” appeared in a denim campaign. Critics argued the ad’s wording had an implication about beauty standards and genetics. The controversy sparked millions of posts debating advertising, fashion marketing, and celebrity influence.

KATSEYE “Better in Denim” Gap Ad

The global girl group KATSEYE would soon appear in a denim campaign for Gap. Many viewers compared the campaign to the recent American Eagle controversy because both focused heavily on denim marketing. The ad featured choreography to the song “Milkshake” by Kelis and quickly went viral online.

“Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday” Trend

The phrase “Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday” became one of TikTok’s biggest audio trends during August 2025. The sound originally came from a commercial by Jet2, but users began pairing the cheerful audio with chaotic or embarrassing clips. 

Major Movie Releases

Weapons

Weapons, directed by Zach Cregger, reached No. 1 at the domestic box office during the final weekend of August 2025. The horror-thriller became highly popular online because of fan theories, cryptic trailers, and reaction videos discussing the movie’s twists and hidden details. The film would go on to win an Oscar.

The Conjuring: Last Rites

The Conjuring: Last Rites was released on September 5, 2025, and quickly became one of the top-selling films of early September. The movie continued the long-running Conjuring franchise and attracted large teenage audiences looking for group theater experiences during the start of the school year.

KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters became one of the breakout animated movies of 2025 after releasing during the summer. The film blended K-pop, fantasy action, and comedy, helping it gain popularity worldwide. Its soundtrack became especially successful online, with multiple songs trending on TikTok and entering streaming charts. Fans also created edits, cosplay videos, and fan art based on the movie’s characters. The film would go on to win 2 Oscars.

Hit Music

“Ordinary”

“Ordinary” by Alex Warren was officially named Billboard’s No. 1 Song of the Summer in September 2025 after staying at the top spot for 14 consecutive weeks. The song became especially popular in emotional TikTok edits, relationship videos, wedding, and graduation posts.

“Die With A Smile”

“Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars became one of the biggest songs across streaming platforms, radio stations, and social media during late summer 2025. The collaboration was praised for bringing Bruno Mars back and creating a song that can be played “at both weddings and funerals.”

“Golden”

“Golden” by fictional group HUNTR/X from KPop Demon Hunters reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 during September 2025. The achievement was notable because the group only existed within the movie, yet the song still competed against major real-world artists. 

Oct to Nov 2025

Viral Trends & Pop Culture Moments

During October, Lububu dolls from Pop Mart became one of the biggest collectibles and trends online. The sharp-toothed plush elf characters appeared in millions of TikTok unboxing videos and “what’s in my bag” posts. By November, rare Labubu figures were reselling online for several times their original price, and many stores sold out within hours of restocks. Celebrities and influencers also began attaching the dolls to purses and backpacks as fashion accessories.

Major Movie Releases & Box Office Hits

Wicked: For Good

Wicked: For Good, the second half of the movie, premiered on November 26, 2025, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. The movie became one of the biggest theatrical events of the holiday season. Fans wore pink-and-green outfits to theaters, and sing-along screenings quickly became popular online.

Zootopia 2

Zootopia 2 was released on November 26, 2025, during Thanksgiving week and immediately dominated family ticket sales. The sequel brought back popular characters from the original movie and became one of Disney’s strongest animated openings of the year.

Predator: Badlands

Predator: Badlands, starring Elle Fanning, was released on November 7, 2025. The Predator film series has now gained massive attention, with a cult following of fans.

Hit Music

“Love Somebody”

“Love Somebody” by Morgan Wallen was released on October 18, 2025, and quickly climbed streaming and radio charts. The song became one of the defining country-pop hits of fall 2025 and was heavily used in online posts.

“The Life of a Showgirl”

“The Life of a Showgirl” by Taylor Swift was released in October 2025 and quickly became a favorite among fans. The song awakened the swifities once again with critical lyric breakdowns and analysis videos throughout late autumn.

Dec to Jan

Major Movie Releases & Box Office Hits

Avatar: Fire and Ash

The third Avatar movie, directed by James Cameron, quickly passed $1 billion dollars in profit and dominated the box office throughout January. The movie was praised for its visual effects and even won an Oscar. 

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man was released on Netflix in early December. The film starred Daniel Craig and Josh ‘o Conner. The movie became one of Netflix’s biggest holiday streaming releases. 

Marty Supreme

Marty Supreme, starring Timothee Chalamet, premiered in December. The film became a major awards-season talking point and gained a massive amount of attention for Timothée's performance and A24’s marketing campaign

Stranger Things Season 5

Stranger Things Season 5 began its release in December. The final season triggered major nostalgia trends online. Users reflecting on the years we’ve spent with the show and how it is finally coming to an end 

Hit Music

“Luther”

"Luther" by Kendrick Lamar and SZA remained one of the most-streamed songs globally throughout January, following the success of Kendrick Lamar's GNX album. 

“The Fate of Ophelia”

"The Fate of Ophelia" by Taylor Swift became one of the defining pop songs of early 2026. Produced by Max Martin, the song inspired lyric breakdowns, fan theories, and emotional TikTok edits throughout January.

"Man, I Need"

“Man I Need” by Olivia Dean reached peak popularity during January 2026. The song became widely used in winter fashion videos, coffee-shop vlogs, and “slow morning” aesthetic content across TikTok and Instagram.

Feb to Mar 2026

Viral Trends & Pop Culture 

Milan Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina dominated social media throughout February 2026. One of the biggest viral moments came during the Figure Skating Exhibition Gala when Niina Petrõkina performed a theatrical routine to “Cell Block Tango” from Chicago. Clips of the performance spread rapidly across TikTok, X, and Instagram.

SNL 50th Anniversary Special

Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a major primetime special on February 15, 2026. Former cast members, including Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, and Adam Sandler, returned for nostalgic sketches and cameos. The event dominated social media timelines throughout the weekend.

Major Movie Releases & Box Office Hits

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, premiered on February 13, 2026. The gothic romance adaptation became one of the biggest theater releases of February and generated huge discussion online because of its cinematography, costumes, and dramatic performances.

Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, premiered on March 27, 2026. The sci-fi adaptation became one of Amazon MGM Studios’ biggest theatrical openings ever, earning more than $80 million during opening weekend and dominating online movie discussions.

Scream 7

Scream 7 was released on February 27, 2026, and earned more than $63 million during its opening weekend. Fans flooded TikTok and YouTube with Ghostface theories, ranking videos, and reactions to the film’s twists.

Goat

Goat became a surprise box office hit in late February 2026. The animated feature briefly reached the No. 1 box office position and gained popularity online because of meme clips and humorous character edits.

Hit Music

“Choosin’ Texas”

“Choosin’ Texas” became one of the fastest-rising country songs of March 2026. The track repeatedly competed with Bruno Mars for the No. 1 Billboard position and became highly popular in truck edits, concert clips, and country lifestyle videos online.

“Stateside”

“Stateside” by PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson entered the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 during March 2026. The upbeat collaboration became one of TikTok’s biggest sounds for fashion transitions, makeup videos, and fast-paced “get ready with me” edits.

Apr to May 2026

Viral Trends & Pop Culture Moments

Euphoria Season 3 Return

Euphoria Season 3 premiered on HBO on April 12, 2026 after years of delays. The release immediately caused a resurgence of glitter makeup tutorials, character edits, outfit recreations, and scene breakdowns across platforms.

“Fruit Love Island” Trend

In May 2026, TikTok users began assigning personalities and fake relationship drama to different fruits as if they were contestants on a reality dating show. The bizarre trend became extremely popular online.

Major Movie Releases & Box Office Hits

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie premiered on April 1, 2026, and became the biggest box office hit of spring 2026. The movie earned over $390 million domestically within weeks and inspired gaming memes, cosplay videos, and recreations inside Minecraft and other games.

Michael

Michael, based on the life of Michael Jackson, premiered on April 24, 2026. The film broke records for a music biopic opening weekend and quickly earned over $700 million globally. Social media was filled with dance recreations, concert clips, and debates about Jackson’s legacy.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

The Devil Wears Prada 2 became one of May 2026’s biggest theatrical releases. The sequel dominated fashion discussions online and inspired outfit recreations, runway edits, and workplace humor videos. The movie eventually earned more than $540 million worldwide.