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A feud between hip hop’s biggest stars came to a head in January 2025 when Drake filed a defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track, which later went on to win the award for record of the year at the 2025 Grammys.
Midway through the year, Euphoria actress Sydney Sweeney shot an advertisement for American Eagle wearing her “good jeans.” It sparked a tense debate about race and beauty standards, which caught the attention of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Weeks later, television host Jimmy Kimmel found himself in the hot seat over comments he made about conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk on his late-night ABC talk show. Kimmel was suspended from the network for several days in a decision that prompted criticism over free speech.
These are among some of the most talked about pop culture moments from 2025.
Drake sues Universal Music Group over “Not Like Us” diss track
In January, Drake filed a lawsuit alleging that Universal Music Group intentionally published and promoted Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” diss track despite knowing that it contained false and defamatory allegations against the Canadian superstar and suggested listeners should resort to vigilante justice. The track tarnished his reputation and decreased the value of his brand, the suit said.
The track went on to win record of the year at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
UMG, the parent record label for both artists, denied the allegations and the suit was eventually tossed by a federal judge in October. After the decision Drake’s legal team said in a statement: “We intend to appeal today’s ruling, and we look forward to the Court of Appeals reviewing it.”
Carrie Underwood sings at Trump’s inauguration
Country music star Carrie Underwood performed at Donald Trump’s second inauguration in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 20. An audio mishap forced the beloved American Idol winner to perform an acapella version of “America the Beautiful” following a brief period of awkward silence.
Beyonce finally wins Alum of the Year
In February, Beyonce took home the top prize at the 2025 Grammy Awards. She won album of the year for her eighth studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” following decades of snubs in the category.
She was joined on stage by her eldest daughter, Blue Ivy.
Kendrick Lamar performs at Super Bowl LIX
Rapper Kendrick Lamar performed at Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans in February, becoming the first solo hip hop artist to do so. He was joined on stage by Drake’s rumoured ex-girlfriend, singer-songwriter SZA. The pair performed their hit song “Luther.”
Labubu craze hits Canada
“Labubu,” the collectable plush toy became a global viral sensation early in 2025 with Beijing-based retailer Pop Mart opening its first Canadian store in Richmond, B.C. over the summer.
The typical price ranges from $30 to $50 for standard blind boxes, with some specialty dolls fetching more than $100.
Katy Perry, Gayle King and others fly into space
Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin launched his fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space in April 2025 with an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King.
It ignited an era of space tourism, where more of the rich and famous than ever before — or lucky and well-connected — can enter the zero-gravity realm traditionally dominated by professional astronauts.
Lady Gaga Breaks the record for highest-attended concert by a female artist
Lady Gaga gave a free concert in May 2025 in front of 2.1 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro for the biggest show of her career.
She performed her classic hits, including “Poker Face” and “Alejandro,” switching between an array of dresses including one with the colors of the Brazilian flag.
Earlier that day, two people were arrested in connection with a thwarted plot to detonate explosives at the concert. Felipe Cury, secretary of the Rio police, said authorities believed the suspects sought to target Brazil’s LGBTQ+ community.
Trial of Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs
Hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs stood trial in spring 2025 for multiple charges, including racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution.
He was ultimately convicted in July for two counts of Transportation to engage in prostitution and was acquitted of all other charges. He was later sentenced to 50 months in federal prison and is expected to be released in February 2028.
The ordeal was also the subject of a four-episode docuseries produced by fellow rapper 50 Cent. It was released on Netflix in December.
Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named NBA MVP
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA’s most valuable player in June.
The 26-year-old from Hamilton is the second Canadian to receive the award, following Steve Nash’s wins in 2005 and 2006.
Anna Wintour steps down as Vogue’s editor-in-chief
Anna Wintour announced plans to step down as Vogue editor-in-chief in June after nearly 40 years in the role. She remains chief content officer for Condé Nast and global editorial director of American Vogue and the magazine’s 27 other editions.
In September, she named Chloe Malle, the daughter of actor Candice Bergen and the late French director Louis Malle, as her successor.
Jet2 Holidays memes
Over the summer Jet2 Holidays, the British budget tour operator, went viral with a 30-second advertisement that features the hook from singer Jess Glynne’s 2015 song “Hold My Hand.”
The audio has soundtracked more than a million TikTok videos and has accompanied dozens of memes.
Coldplay kiss cam drama
A routine moment of crowdwork at a Coldplay concert went viral in July when a couple tried to avoid the spotlight after they were caught hugging on the jumbotron. Internet sleuths quickly figured out that they were the CEO and chief people officer of a little-known tech company called Astronomer.
The snippet of video set the internet alight, fueling a wave of memes and drawing attention to the erosion of privacy in public spaces.
CEO Andy Byron ultimately resigned from his position days later.
Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ canceled
CBS announced in July that it is canceling “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in 2026, shuttering a decades-old TV institution in a changing media landscape and removing from air one of U.S. President Donald Trump’s most prominent and persistent late-night critics.
CBS said “Late Show” was canceled for financial reasons, not for content. But the timing — three days after Colbert criticized the settlement between Trump and Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, over a “60 Minutes” story — led two U.S. senators to publicly question the motives.
Sydney Sweeney’s “good jeans”
U.S. fashion retailer American Eagle Outfitters wanted to make a splash with its advertising campaign starring 27-year-old actor Sydney Sweeney. The ad blitz included “clever, even provocative language” and was “definitely going to push buttons,” the company’s chief marketing officer told trade media outlets.
Titled “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” the campaign sparked a debate about race, Western beauty standards, and the backlash to “woke” American politics and culture. Most of the negative reception focused on videos that used the word “genes” instead of “jeans” when discussing the blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor known for the HBO series “Euphoria” and “White Lotus.”
Some critics saw the wordplay as a nod, either unintentional or deliberate, to eugenics, a discredited theory that held humanity could be improved through selective breeding for certain traits.
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau ignite dating rumours
Dating rumours between pop star Katy Perry and former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began to swirl in July after the pair were spotted on a dinner date in Montreal during one of the singer’s tour stops in the city. Later, a viral photo appeared to show the pair kissing aboard a yacht off the coast of Santa Barbara, Cal.
They were also seen hand-in-hand during an outing in Paris, France in October to celebrate Perry’s 41st birthday.
Victoria Mboko claims historic title at 2025 National Bank Open
18-year-old Victoria Mboko defeated Japan’s Naomi Osaka in August to capture the women’s title at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
It was Mboko’s first tour-level title, coming in just the seventh main draw of her career. She’s now the second-youngest player in the Open era (since 1968) to beat four Grand Slam champions in a single tournament.
Following the victory, the Toronto native climbed to No. 18 in the world rankings after starting the year outside the top 300, making her the top-ranked Canadian woman.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce get engaged
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce broke the internet with the news of their engagement in August.
In a five-photo joint post on Instagram, the superstar singer and football player revealed their engagement, the fairytale culmination of a courtship that for two years has thrilled and fascinated millions around the world, but especially Swifties, the pop star’s enormous and ardent fan base.
“Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” the caption read, accompanied by an emoji of a dynamite stick.
ABC briefly suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show
ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show in September after comments that he made about Charlie Kirk’s killing led a group of ABC-affiliated stations to say it would not air the show and provoked some ominous comments from a top federal regulator.
He was reinstated in less than a week following public outcry, and used his opening monologue on his first night back to thank his supporters and talk about the importance of free speech.
Canada bans Irish rap group Kneecap from entering the country
The Canadian government banned the Irish-language rap group Kneecap from entering the country in September, saying the group has endorsed political violence and terrorism.
Liberal MP Vince Gasparro, parliamentary secretary for combating crime, released a social media video announcing the ban in response to allegations that Kneecap had been inciting violence and glorifying terrorism.
The Canada Border Services Agency and the Prime Minister’s Office later revealed they were not involved in Gasparro’s announcement and that he acted alone.
Kneecap says it has instructed their lawyers to seek legal action against Gasparro for comments that are “wholly untrue and deeply malicious.”
Canadian comic Veronika Slowikowska joins the cast of “Saturday Night Live”
Canadian comic Veronika Slowikowska packed her bags for New York in order to join the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” The Barrie, Ont., native is one of five new cast members who joined the iconic sketch comedy show in its 51st season.
Slowikowska has gained attention for her viral sketch comedy videos on TikTok and Instagram, and for her recurring role on FX comedy “What We Do in the Shadows.”
She is the only Canadian and the only woman among this year’s new “SNL” recruits, who also include Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall and Kam Patterson.
With files from The Canadian Press and Associated Press