To say 2024 was unhinged would be an understatement. If anything, last year demonstrated our collective willingness to indulge every whim, regardless of how chaotic it might appear. The cultural conversation was spattered across social media feeds, industry headlines, and ironically self-aware marketing campaigns that revelled in their own disarray. On one hand, this perpetual messiness of pop culture signalled a universal exhaustion with putting up a polished front. On the other, it revealed a paradox: in a time when we all want clarity and purpose, we seem more than happy to celebrate the nonsensical. For better or for worse, that tension between wanting meaning and embracing triviality has only grown sharper.
As we step warily into 2025, the question inevitably arises: will the entertainment landscape refine itself, or will pop culture spiral further? Conventional wisdom might tell us that the pop pendulum will inevitably swing in a new direction. Yet, there’s a collective feeling that maybe things will remain this topsy-turvy for a little while longer. Corporate brands continue to infuse campaigns with disclaimers of “please don’t take us too seriously,” subcultures flourish on platforms like TikTok where absurd content reigns supreme, and even high-profile releases from established artists show a pronounced disregard for the neat packaging we once expected.
In typical style, last year’s highlights were as messy as they were intriguing. Musicians were caught smashing glasses of red wine on stage as part of choreographed meltdown acts, cautionary tales of scam artists transformed into primetime TV content, and the once-derided notion of “simply not caring” took centre stage. Perhaps we all needed a break from the moral rigour that dominated the late 2010s. Perhaps we collectively decided that if the world was going to keep spinning into unknown territory, we might as well embrace the chaos. Either way, it left 2024 in a state of glorious bewilderment – and it has left those in the industry anxious to find out what lies in store for 2025.
Below, we’ll examine four key elements of 2024’s pop culture pandemonium, from the rebellious spirit in mainstream entertainment to the unapologetically indulgent trends shaping fashion and nightlife. We’ll then peer ahead, considering what it all might mean as we take our tentative steps into a new year.
1. A Visual Feast of Messiness
The culture of 2024 found a fitting visual representation in fashion runways that seemed determined to sabotage standard definitions of “put together.” Whether it was Balenciaga clothes with labels brazenly sticking out or Miu Miu’s absurdly overstuffed bags, it felt as though haute couture was a game of “the more undone, the better.” It wasn’t just about showcasing your wealth or your brand loyalty anymore; now you had to display a complete disregard for perfection. Designers and influencers happily courted the grotesque with everything from muddy catwalks to partially unzipped garments.
These public-facing antics infiltrated pop star wardrobes, viral Instagram looks, and daily street style. Ironically, many major names in the fashion world claimed this shift reflected a new wave of honesty. “We don’t want to hide the effort anymore,” one designer explained in a widely shared interview, pointing to garments where the tailoring process was left intentionally visible. Perhaps it was an attempt at transparency, though others read it as a meta-commentary on consumer culture. Why should the final product look impeccable when we all know the behind-the-scenes chaos that got it there?
Social media platforms fed this appetite for scrappiness. Suddenly, outtakes and bloopers became the main event, with no shortage of celebrities posting “oops” moments that were more obviously staged than spontaneous. If you didn’t post something haphazard, you risked looking out of touch. Embracing shoddiness was a surefire way to appear “relatable” or at least ironically above it all. The days of meticulously curated feeds that felt like coffee-table art books? Long gone. Now, it’s the clip of your dog chewing through your expensive new trainers that garners a million views.
2. The Soundtrack of “I Don’t Care Anymore”
The music industry, unsurprisingly, provided one of the loudest echoes of 2024’s communal meltdown. Take the album “Brat” by Charli XCX: it was less a piece of sonic craftsmanship than a flamboyant, wine-soaked temper tantrum that somehow broke streaming records. Critics were equal parts astonished and intrigued by the project’s blatant disregard for conventional pop polish. Music videos that once strove for Hollywood-level perfection now looked more like free-for-alls at a particularly raucous party. The “Brat” era served as a prime example of the new pop star aesthetic: bedhead glam meets carefree rebellion.
Charli XCX wasn’t the only one letting her hair down in 2024. The year was packed with similar episodes from established artists shedding their tried-and-tested formulas in favour of raw, borderline unhinged expressions. Taylor Swift teased a surprise collaboration with Oasis, apparently out of nowhere, reminding everyone that pop can pivot on a dime. The track they released sounded like it had been recorded halfway through a feud with a dodgy sound engineer – which, according to rumours, wasn’t far from the truth. Yet that rough edge only added to its viral success, as fans devoured the authenticity angle.
Genres that once carried a sense of deeper purpose also gave in to the mania. Goth aesthetics, with their dark and moody grandeur, surged back to mainstream popularity. A new wave of alternative rockers channelled the hopeless vibe in a post-pandemic world, and the mainstream actually listened. There was a sense that everything had become an irreverent costume party. The cynics said it was all an elaborate performance of consumer disillusionment, while optimists insisted that this messy avant-garde spirit was what we needed to break free from the monotony of formulaic pop.
3. Indulgence: The Ultimate Antidote to Lockdown Fatigue
Amidst the carnage, indulgence stood out as the most brazen symptom of our cultural hangover. After all, if you’ve spent enough time confined within the four walls of your flat, why wouldn’t you want to reclaim lost hours in a blaze of questionable decisions? People abandoned their plant-based diets, reacquainted themselves with nicotine, and pressed the “add to cart” button with casual abandon. The success of the so-called “girly pop summer” – featuring acts like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter – further underscored that the glitz and glam of partying was back in full force.
Nightlife, in particular, returned with a vengeance. It was no longer enough to merely throw a music festival in an open field; you had to create some sensory overload that left guests staggering home with confusion and excitement. Clubs constructed labyrinthine mazes of neon-lit rooms, each featuring a different DJ’s spin on feel-good anthems. The dress code was intentionally contradictory: come as you are, but also be sure to stand out. Glitter, spandex, and novelty headpieces peppered dance floors across the globe.
Of course, this feeding frenzy was also driven by marketers who sensed that people were tired of moralistic messaging and earnest attempts at brand responsibility. Enter a wave of products that cost a small fortune but gleefully declared themselves completely unnecessary. And consumers? They lapped it up. Some critics labelled this trend as peak nihilism: why invest your money in socially conscious purchases when you can splurge on a superfluous gadget that will probably collect dust within a week? The more brazen the marketing, the more appealing it became.
While critics lamented the unchecked hedonism and its implications for society at large, there was an undeniable spirit of collective relief fuelling it. Having endured global lockdowns and multiple crises, many people just wanted to have some fun – even if it meant celebrating trivialities and tossing caution to the wind.
4. The Morally Ambiguous Aftermath
Yet for all of 2024’s messy splendour, it came with a faint whiff of dread. Surely there’s a limit to how long any culture can revel in its own absurdity before it all comes crashing down. Entertainment that once offered a glimmer of escapism now risks leaving us feeling hollow. After the initial sugar rush, viewers, listeners, and consumers may awaken to find themselves yearning for depth again. But for now, the mania continues.
Consider the phenomenon of scammer worship. Late-night TV hosts invited con artists onto their sofas to discuss their “stories” as though they were misunderstood visionaries rather than cautionary tales. Social media churned out breathless coverage of these questionable icons, while the rest of us had a field day pointing out how bizarre it was that convicted criminals were the new darlings of talk shows. Yet we watched, didn’t we? Over and over again, fuelling the cycle of “click, comment, share.”
All this begs the question: does indulging such content mean we’re complicit in normalising questionable conduct, or are we merely bored viewers in search of novelty? It’s never a neat answer, and 2024 proved how muddy everything has become. As progressive as some of the cultural developments might appear, you could argue we’re also becoming inured to actual wrongdoing. The moral vacuum swirling around these pop-culture spectacles left a sour aftertaste for those who remember when pop tried to stand for something more substantial.
The TV show “Industry” served as a prime example: its third season was awash with substances, subterfuge, and shady power grabs, yet the production refused to glamorise any of it. Instead, it depicted its characters in stark lighting, chain-smoking outside office buildings like they were on borrowed time. No triumphant monologues about “carpe diem” here – just the raw, frantic scramble of people who know they’re in an endless rat race. Even if some of us might not work in high finance, the stress and underlying despair in each scene felt eerily familiar. After so much glitz and extravagance, 2024’s pop culture occasionally turned the spotlight on the emptiness beneath it all.
(Conclusion: The Inevitable Hangover?)
So, what does this swirling mass of chaos, indulgence, and nihilism mean as we cross the threshold into 2025? Are we gearing up for yet another wave of flamboyant displays, or is the meltdown nearing its conclusion? Predicting the cultural landscape is always a fool’s errand, but one thing is certain: mainstream pop culture rarely rests on its laurels for long. Even the most sensational trends run their course eventually, making way for the next cycle of creative evolution.
One possibility is that 2025 might rekindle the desire for earnestness and purpose, especially if the moral and mental toll of constant overstimulation becomes too great. We might see a renaissance of minimalism, sincerity, or a new kind of activism that repositions music, fashion, and film as platforms for meaningful expression. Then again, the rebellious streak might dig deeper into extremes if the world’s problems persist and cynical escapism continues to sell.
For the entertainment industry, the stakes have never been higher. Brands, influencers, and producers alike are looking to see if consumers will tire of the carnival and gravitate towards something more grounded, or if they’ll chase the next spectacle. Meanwhile, artists are left juggling the thirst for shock value with the risk of losing credibility. The executives in corner offices who once banked on glossy, curated perfection are now scrambling to keep up with a frenetic appetite for “messy authenticity,” hoping their guesses about the cultural temperature are accurate.
Ultimately, 2024 showed us just how quickly the tides can change. We went from preaching wellness and progress to glorifying the meltdown in what seemed like a heartbeat. For some, it was a well-deserved break from perpetual virtue-signalling. For others, it was a horrifying glimpse into what happens when we throw caution to the wind and disregard moral frameworks. Either way, it’s the norm we’ve been served – at least for the moment.
As 2025 unfurls, we can only wonder if the dust will settle or if another wave of wanton behaviour awaits. The cultural sector might rediscover its ethical backbone, or it might sink deeper into the mire, indulging quick fixes and fleeting sensations to keep us occupied. Whichever route we take, the past year stands as a sobering reminder: pop culture can be as fickle as it is thrilling, and its reflection reveals more about our underlying societal tensions than we might be comfortable admitting.
For those trying to peer around the corner, brace yourselves. There’s a fair chance that 2025 will double down on the spontaneity, offering an even more unpredictable spectacle than last year. Still, it wouldn’t be the first time pop culture chaos laid the groundwork for a new creative movement. If that movement emerges, let’s hope it arrives with a stronger moral compass, sharper wit, and a reluctance to reduce everything to a spectacle. Because, as fun as the meltdown can be, at some point, we all need something more than just wine-stained T-shirts and chaotic ad campaigns to get us through the day.
Only time – and the next wave of pop culture icons – will tell whether 2025 finds us bouncing back from the brink or, as some fear, throwing all restraint out the window once again. Until then, let’s at least admit that 2024 was the year we collectively decided we were done feigning perfection. For better or for worse, we embraced the mayhem, and now we’re left to see if we can handle its repercussions or if we’ll just pour ourselves another glass of whatever and watch the show continue.
Article by Amelia Vandergast
