2021’s Most Iconic Pop Culture Moments

Divorce, Babe. Divorce! 

Belting out Go Easy On Me in the shower, just like you did in 2008 to Chasing Pavements has to be one of the year’s highlights, surely. Adele’s highly anticipated return set in action a string of serotonin for the weeks to come. And the album was good, but the buzz was better. Emma Thompson letting loose at An Audience With Adele was a sight to behold. The singer denying outright that she would collab with Peppa Pig was a disappointment, expected, but still a disappointment. And we can’t help but mention all of the inevitable TikToks that came with it, such as fully grown adults saying they’re coming out of retirement to be Adele’s back up dancer and then doing this…

Happiness is… Emma Roberts on a beach

Probably one of the weirder moments of the year… In some odd music video type thing to the backing track Happiness is a Butterfly by Lana Del Rey, the Wild Child, Roberts, stands on a beach, her hair blowing in the wind, and us, on the either side of the screen, with our mouths ajar and our minds searching for any kind of reasoning behind recording the video and, furthermore, pressing send. Needless to say, she looks amazing and so she should!

Free(d) Britney!

For the first time in around 14 years, Britney Spears is now able to manage her own finances and sign her own paperwork following a court decision to take the power away from John Zabel, who took over the Conservatorship from Spears’ father in September. The decision comes in the wake of social media outcry over the singer’s situation, with many social media users worrying about Spears’ situation and believing that her posts on Instagram were actually a call for help. 

No More Sad Songs 

After a tumultuous few months, iconic British girl group Little Mix announced that they planned to part ways after their upcoming tour. The group want to focus on solo endeavours, much like the most recent member to leave, Jesy Nelson. The group formed on the X Factor in 2011 and have had countless number one hits. Shoutout To My Ex will go down in heartbreak history.

Father, Son, House of Gucci 

I’m sure you’re as sick and tired of this meme as much as Tom Ford is sick and tired of the movie, but it needs a mention. Lady Gaga’s show-stealing line in the House of Gucci quickly caught the attention of the internet, for her accent, acting and virality. Still, we’re not really sure why. The film was good, but it seems the memes got higher praise than the acting. 

Bernie Sanders’ Mittens

It feels like a lifetime ago that Bernie Sanders was caught sitting Gangnam Style on a chair, wrapped up warm in a winter coat and THE mittens. Like all good things do, the US politician quickly became yet another meme, following on from the wave of “I am once again asking you…” photos from his funding video for his electoral campaign. Soon, everyone wanted the mittens. You can even buy the exact same ones that Sanders wears from Etsy.

Happier Than Ever

Say goodbye to the angst phase and hello to the over it era. Billie Eilish’s album and accompanying imagery really shows that the artist actually is Happier Than Ever. We’ve watched her grow from teenager to woman, she’s swapped the hoodies and baggy jeans for elegant, poised cover shoots. And no matter what anyone says about whether or not that’s the Billie Eilish we know, that’s the Billie Eilish we’ve got, and there’s no doubt lots more to come.

The Return of Lorde

When the 25-year-old shared the cover artwork for her third album, a photograph of her leaping mostly naked over the camera, the world went into meltdown. Lorde stans don’t go anywhere, we will wait decades for her return, and we were prepared to. But Solar Power came to the rescue and made the pandemic a little more bearable.

J.Lo + Ben Affleck 

‘Bennifer’ are back! Ben Affleck and J.Lo (Jennifer Lopez) have officially re-kindled their love nearly 20 years after their romance, despite Affleck recently admitting that he felt hesitant about re-entering the relationship. The actor previously split from fellow movie star, Jennifer Garner, in 2015, just after their 10-year anniversary. In 2003, the couple’s marriage was called off due to a mass media presence, and Lopez had already adopted the actor’s surname. A year later, the love affair was over. But now, Bennifer is back and better than ever. 

Megan Fox + Machine Gun Kelly 

So Machine Gun Kelly (Colson Baker) took a role in Midnight in the Switchgrass basically just so he could meet Megan Fox. Who wouldn’t? The announcement of their official relationship came in June last year, and since then, there’s been some… unexpected revelations. In May, Machine Gun Kelly revealed that he wears a pendant around his neck that contains the blood of Fox, which she gave to him when she was leaving the country for work.

Banner image credits: Instagram @meganfox / Instagram @britneyspears