12 Viral Pop Culture Moments of 2023 That Live In Our Minds Rent-free
Buckle up, 2023 has been one exciting, funny and wacky year.
From celebrity makeups and breakups to the most talked about blockbusters, 2023 brought the Internet an abundance of viral pop culture moments to relish in. Before we ring in the new year, let’s take a trip down memory lane and reflect on (and laugh at) some of the most prominent events that live in our minds rent-free.
JANUARY: HAILEY BIEBER AND THE NEPO BABY T-SHIRT
The term “Nepo Baby” was on everyone’s lips in January 2023 and the beauty entrepreneur ruffled feathers on social media when she entered the chat with a baby-tee printed with the same words—sparking a debate if she had staged the paparazzi photos for attention. While the jury is still out on that, Mrs Bieber has mentioned in interviews that she understood the situation and was proud to be a nepo baby, thanks to her famous father and uncle.
Related article: From Paris Hilton To Hailey Bieber, These Are The Most Stylish Nepo Babies
FEBRUARY: RIHANNA'S SURPRISE BABY BUMP AT THE SUPER BOWL
Fans rejoiced when the singer accepted the offer to perform at the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, marking her return to the stage after seven years. Not only did she give her fans an impressive 12-song medley of her greatest hits while standing on a floating platform, she also stunned the world with her second pregnancy announcement. Rihanna certainly solidified her icon status and, inevitably, set the standard for future Super Bowl performers.
MARCH: GWYNETH PALTROW’S SKI TRIAL
Now, this pop culture moment was a weird one—the founder of Goop went to trial in March 2023 with a man whom she had collided with on a ski slope seven years ago. Paltrow was found innocent by the jury and awarded one dollar; a symbolic amount that she asked for as the trial was about protecting her reputation and not money. The trial became a social media sensation because of the allegations brought forward, the meme of Paltrow saying “I wish you well” to the plaintiff as she made her exit and, of course, her ensembles that spurred the trend on even further.
APRIL: BLACKPINK MADE HISTORY AT COACHELLA
What can’t these four girls do? BLACKPINK became the first K-pop and all-female band to headline at Coachella in April 2023 and they showed the world just how strong and influential the genre is. The historic performance featured their hits such as “How You Like That”, “BOOMBAYAH" and “Pretty Savage”; with solo segments dedicated to each member. In November 2023, the band made a surprise visit to Buckingham Palace where they received honorary MBEs in recognition of their role as COP26 Advocates for the United Nations climate summit held in Glasgow in 2021.
Related article: BLACKPINK’s Coachella 2023 Looks: Mugler Bodysuits, Chainmail Numbers, And More
JUNE: THE IDOL FLOP
Viral pop culture moments can also be controversial too, such as HBO's The Idol that premiered in June 2023. It’s common for TV shows or films to rely on a star-studded cast to carry the viewership but this series proved that A-list celebrities like The Weeknd, Jennie, Lily-Rose Depp and Troye Sivan are not enough to propel a show to success. The Idol received backlash online for its over-sexualised and misogynistic plot, which impacted the show greatly as it ran five episodes instead of the original six; eventually getting cancelled by the network after one season.
JULY: BARBENHEIMER-MANIA
The marketing campaign for Barbie featuring was fantastic but no one saw the best promotional tactic coming—Oppenheimer with the same-day release. The rivalry between both films manifested the Barbenheimer trend on Instagram and TikTok, with many users creating videos on how they planned to catch both movies on the same day. Robbie and director Greta Gerwig even joined in the action by buying advance tickets to catch Oppenheimer in cinemas.
Related article: Why Is It So Deeply Satisfying To Dress Like Barbie?
AUGUST: CARDI B AND THE MIC SAGA
From cellphones to water bottles, fans have been throwing items on stage for as long as we know it and Cardi B was not having any of it. A concertgoer threw a drink at the rapper and she retaliated by hurling a microphone at them. The attendee pressed criminal battery charges against Cardi B but the District’s Attorney threw the case out due to insufficient evidence. The owner of the audio company then sold the infamous mic on eBay for around US$100,000, which was donated to charity. Other stars who have been hit by objects this year include Bebe Rexha, Harry Styles and Kelsea Ballerini.
SEPTEMBER: KYLIE JENNER AND TIMOTHEÉ CHALAMET HARD LAUNCHED THEIR RELATIONSHIP
This celebrity couple came out of nowhere and social media went into a frenzy when the pair went public with their relationship at Beyoncé’s concert in Los Angeles and at the U.S Open in September with a smooch that went viral. Since then, Jenner has been actively supporting Chalamet’s projects such as his guest appearance on Saturday Night Live and one of the Wonka premieres.
OCTOBER: DAVID BECKHAM CALLED OUT VICTORIA BECKHAM
Posh and Becks will always be “couple goals”. The duo showcased their palpable chemistry in the Netflix documentary Beckham and a particular scene became one of 2023's biggest pop culture moments. Victoria mentioned that both her family and David’s were working class, to which her husband quickly jumped in and asked her to be honest. Victoria then admitted that her father had a Rolls-Royce. This scene became a hit on TikTok and the fashion designer leveraged it by selling a simple white t-shirt with the quote.
NOVEMBER: NORTH WEST ROASTED SCHIAPARELLI’S CREATIVE DIRECTOR DANIEL ROSEBERRY
One of the key moments in the third season of The Kardashians revolves around Kim Kardashian preparing for the MET Gala with daughter North West and niece Penelope Disick in tow. West did not hold her tongue during her mum’s final fitting with Schiaparelli’s Daniel Roseberry, who then told the cameras that the 10-year-old’s criticism was his worst nightmare come to life. For that realness, West became the Internet’s favourite member of the Kardashian clan.
DECEMBER: BTS IN THE ARMY
The day finally arrived—all seven BTS members are now in the military. RM and V enlisted on 11 December, followed by Jimin and Jung Kook the next day. J-Hope gave Army a treat with a picture of all the members, including Jin and Suga who went into service months ago, to commemorate the moment and to wish them well on their respective journeys. Now, all we can do is listen to their infectious bops and bide our time till their comeback in 2025.
BONUS: EVERYTHING THAT TAYLOR SWIFT DID
Related article: Taylor Swift Is Crowned As Spotify’s Top Artist Of The Year With 26 Billion Streams Worldwide
Ladies and gentlemen, may we present Time Magazine's "Person of the Year", making Swift the first entertainer to receive this accolade for her success in the arts. Fans of the singer have classified 2023 as “Taylor’s Version” because Swift has dominated headlines throughout the year. From the start of her extravagant Eras Tour and the premiere of the accompanying concert film to the breakup with actor Joe Alwyn, the fling with singer Matt Healy and her new relationship with athlete Travis Kelce, Swift has had a whirlwind year; and it is unlikely to stop in 2024 as her tour continues, including a stop right here in Singapore.