From Beyoncé finally winning the Album of the Year Grammy and Taylor Swift's engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce, to major blockbusters like "Zootopia 2" and the final season of "Stranger Things," 2025 has been a fun and jam-packed year for pop culture.

Hollywood

The year 2025 saw several significant moments in pop culture, including Beyonce winning a Grammy for Album of the Year and Taylor Swift's engagement to NFL player Travis Kelsey. The entertainment industry also experienced major successes with blockbuster films like Zootopia 2, which grossed $1 billion worldwide, and the final season of Stranger Things.

Music and television trends reflected a public desire for comfort and escapism, with new artists like Olivia Dean gaining popularity for their familiar and soothing styles. Animated films and nostalgic franchises dominated the box office, while TV shows with darker themes resonated with audiences seeking both reflection and distraction from daily life.

Looking back at biggest pop culture moments of 2025

Let's focus on some good that happened this year from Beyonce finally winning a Grammy for album of the year and Taylor Swift's engagement to NFL star Travis Kelsey to major blockbusters like Zootopia 2 and the final season of stranger things it's been a fun and jam-packed year for pop culture. Lamar Dawson is here to break down the year's biggest moments in music movies and TV. He's a radio host and pop culture expert so good to see you here. All right so let's start with the world of music we're just talking about Olivia Dean. Yeah in the commercial break what stood out to you. Well it didn't for sure I thought to talk comment once they called her the shot day of Gen Z we need that you know I think in times as we do need that I think in times of crises chaos of the chaos people gravitate towards comfort the stall just something familiar, you know she's a new artist her voice feels familiar, the music feels safe and comforting exactly when everything's like overly stimulated you want something peaceful. Yeah, especially on the New York subway. So let's talk about movies because there was a pretty big upset disease utopia to grossed a billion dollars worldwide right out wicked for good which is the sequel on opening weekend. We also know a lot of animated films dominated Minecraft k-pop demon hunters couldn't. Golden is stuck in my head, I think families and young people are driving the box office right now to your point to topia Minecraft because big IP like Superman and Captain America a a lot of families are young people are going to like what can I do with my children. But again that the more familiar people something familiar they want comfort they want to stall just something they know in times of chaos and uncertainty so I think that's also driving it to. And then on the TV side you have something totally different you have I'm going to walk into work and this is so my identity severance white is some of these shows that have kind of dark themes were right popular. I think most areas I I think about reflecting the burnout people feel the anxiety people feel the overstimulation people fill and I think they want to make sense of their reality through the reality of television. So there's that but then why Lotus gives you a scape is I'm I don't want to think about my life right now I want to think about these other people in the crazies of their goal. Schwarzenegger and his protein shake exactly. Take my mind off what's going on in my life and put it on something else so it sounds like 2025 by your analysis is sort of escapist do you have any any forecast for 2026 morally be a Dean more ray more new artists who are giving your ability to escape your reality was going on your day and your week but also like that warm blanket you want for music that's back to and really talented vocals, yes, my real music stripped down doesn't have to be highly totally I think we're seeing this like anti I think going on with that as well people want to counteract what they're seeing with real vocalist real artists and real lyrics, I don't hate it me either Lamar Dawson, thank you so much time.

The U.S. is conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets in Syria in retaliation for the attack that killed two American soldiers and a U.S. interpreter on Saturday, multiple sources told CBS News.

Damascus

U.S. launches massive strike on ISIS targets in Syria

The suspect in the Dec. 13 mass shooting on the campus of Brown University was found dead by suicide in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire, authorities said. He has been identified as 48-year-old Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a former Brown grad student.

Providence

How a Reddit post led police to the suspected university shooter

Seven people were killed, including former NASCAR driver Greg Biffle and his wife and children, in a plane crash in North Carolina. Investigators hope to find clues about why it happened on the cockpit voice recorder. Cristian Benavides has the latest.

Plane crash kills NASCAR driver, family

President Trump announced new agreements on Friday with nine pharmaceutical companies aimed at making certain prescription drugs cheaper. CBS News reporter Karen Hua has the details.

Washington

Trump announces agreements with major drugmakers to lower prices

The U.S. military has carried out airstrikes in central Syria targeting suspected sites linked to the Islamic State terror group. The strikes follow last Saturday's ISIS attack that killed two soldiers and a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter.

Palmyra

Middle East Conflict

U.S. launches retaliatory strikes on ISIS in Syria

The U.S. Justice Department released a new trove of documents from its investigations into the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, bowing to pressure from lawmakers who forced their disclosure with a new law.

Washington County

Justice Department releases new tranche of Epstein files

The Justice Department has released a new batch of files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. CBS News legal reporter Katrina Kaufman has more.

Combing through newly released Epstein files

TikTok has signed a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a group of investors in America, a source familiar with the deal tells CBS News.

TikTok nears deal to avoid ban in the U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the European Union's massive $108 billion loan to fund Ukraine's war against Russia.

Kyiv

European Union loans Ukraine billions as Putin boasts about war

The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, continues to take a heavy toll on civilians, particularly in frontline areas such as Zaporizhzhia, where fighting and shelling persist.

Moscow

Ukraine Invasion

Putin accuses Kyiv of rejecting peaceful settlement

The man believed to be responsible for carrying out the Brown University shooting and killing an MIT professor was found dead in a storage unit in New Hampshire on Thursday, officials said.

Salem

Suspect in Brown and MIT shootings found dead

Australia will launch a national gun buyback program in the aftermath of a deadly attack on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

Council of the City of Sydney

Australia announces gun buyback program after Bondi Beach shooting

TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, signed binding agreements with American investors to allow the U.S. arm of the business to continue operating.

Beijing

TikTok signs deal to allow app to continue operating in the U.S.

Under a law passed by Congress and signed by President Trump, the Justice Department has until Friday to release its files on the Jeffrey Epstein case. House Democrats released more photos from the estate of the convicted sex offender. Scott MacFarlane reports.

House Democrats release more Epstein photos ahead of DOJ deadline

The European Commission announced it will delay the signing of the Mercosur trade agreement until the new year after Meloni asked for more time. No date has been set. Backers hope deal won't be further derailed.

Brussels

Mercosur signature delayed to January after Meloni asked for more time

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. CBS News White House reporter Aaron Navarro has more on that and the president's year-end address from Wednesday night.

Trump signs executive order reclassifying marijuana

President Donald Trump laid out what he claims are the reasons that America's economy is thriving in an address to the nation. This comes as Americans remain concerned about high prices.

Trump touts economic record during address to nation

Multiple sources tell CBS News a person of interest has been identified in the mass shooting at Brown University. CBS News' Tom Hanson reports.

Person of interest identified in deadly Brown University shooting

Brazil’s Senate passed a bill that could drastically reduce former President Jair Bolsonaro’s 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup, potentially cutting his time behind bars to just over two years.

Rio de Janeiro

Brazil Congress passes bill to cut Bolsonaro prison term

EU leaders are split in Brussels over using frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. Poland backs urgent action, while Belgium resists over legal and financial risks. Ukraine is pressing for a decision by year’s end.

EU leaders urge swift decision on frozen Russian funds for Ukraine

The U.S. military said Wednesday that it attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on the same day the House rejected efforts to limit President Donald Trump’s power to use military force against drug cartels.

New U.S. strike on alleged drug boat kills four

The U.S. Justice Department said late on Wednesday (December 17) the federal government was liable in the fatal January 29 collision of an Army Black Hawk helicopter and American Airlines regional jet that killed 67 people near Reagan Washington National Airport.

U.S. admits liability in fatal Black Hawk-American Airlines crash

Nick Reiner made his first court appearance after being charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the killing of his parents, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner.

Los Angeles

Nick Reiner appears in court on murder charges in killing of parents

The United States on Wednesday (December 17) approved $11.1 billion in arms sales to Taiwan, marking the largest ever U.S. weapons package for the island, which is under increasing military pressure from China.

U.S. approves $11.1 billion arms package for Taiwan, largest ever

EU leaders will gather in the coming hours to vote on potentially using nearly 200 billion dollars in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. But it's a controversial and risky plan.

EU leaders to vote on Ukraine loan backed by frozen Russian assets

Nick Reiner made his first court appearance on Wednesday since being arrested for the killings of his parents, Rob and Michele.

Nick Reiner makes first court appearance since parents' deaths

Vladimir Putin said Russia would achieve its goals by diplomatic or military means and would seek to expand a “security buffer” zone in Ukraine.

Putin warns Russia will extend gains in Ukraine if peace talks fail

Newly-released surveillance video shows Nick Reiner at a gas station convenience store just hours after he allegedly fatally stabbed his parents, Rob and Michele Reiner, and minutes before he was taken into custody.

New surveillance video shows Nick Reiner before his arrest

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on social media a "total and complete blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers" going in and out of Venezuela. Some details remain unclear, including when the order would be implemented and how many tankers could be involved.

Caracas

Trump orders blockade on Venezuela oil tankers

A man who allegedly opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Sydney's famed Bondi Beach has been charged with 59 offences, including murder and terrorism, New South Wales Police said.

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