10 Biggest Pop Culture Moments of the Year

Starting strong with the news that shook the world earlier this year is Rihanna's and A$AP Rocky's pregnancy announcement. This photo, lensed by "fashion's favourite paparazzi" Diggzy, had the internet buzzing, not just for the new addition to the couple's family, but because of Rihanna's maternity style.

This outfit marked the first of the singer's many bold maternity fashion choices, including the fashionable purple fur coat and latex top ensemble Rihanna wore at the Gucci show in Milan. Rihanna's go-to maternity look involved her showing off her midriff, using half-buttoned coats, crop tops, and crystal mesh tops from houses like Gucci and Miu Miu to elevate her street style. Many pregnant women have since been influenced by the singer's style, trying the "revealing" outfits for themselves during their own trimesters.

Where do we even begin with this fiasco? Don't Worry Darling gifted us with many things: Most notably, the leaking of Olivia Wilde's private video for Shia LaBeouf calling Florence Pugh out, the residual awkwardness that came with that between the leads and their director, Pugh's choice to only show up for one press event for the film, and finally, the cast's uncomfortable presence at the Venice Film Festival where "Spitgate" was born. It was a hot mess, and the internet loved every moment of it.

2022 saw the comeback of K-pop's current hottest girl group; Blackpink returned with new music after bouts of solo ventures with their single Pink Venom, where the girls were all dressed up in ensembles from the houses they represent, such as Dior, Celine, Chanel, and Saint Laurent in its music video that has garnered a whopping 488 million views. Since then, the girls have released another single, collaborated with PUGB mobile on their in-game concert 'The Virtual' that features AI versions of the group, and are currently on tour.

How could we forget the court case that turned ugly really fast? Televised for the world to see, exes Johnny Depp and Amber Heard battled each other head-on in the court over the course of a couple of months. The case brought about more harm than good, with a majority of the internet siding with Depp because of the many memes, "fancams", and content created out of footage of each trial. Now, months after the final verdict, the internet is slowly switching sides to show its support for Heard and apologise to her for their misogynistic treatment of her during the trials. A pop culture moment we could've done without, if we're being honest. 

Or, a bartender's least favourite drink order. Made TikTok famous by House of the Dragon's lead actors Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke with over 11 million views, the phrase "Negroni... Sbagliato... with Prosecco in it" has gotten everyone hooked, mostly because of the sultry way D'Arcy said it in the video. Since going viral, this particular drink order has been heard across practically every bar, with many trying their hand at enunciating the phrase like the Rhaenyra actor. 

Life imitates art, alright. Just like a scene out of Glee, the internet went into a frenzy when broadway and TV star Lea Michele got cast as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. The news caused many ex-fans of Glee to call out the resemblance between the news and Rachel Berry's (the character played by Michele) storyline in the show. Michele's ex-co-star Jane Lynch was also part of the Funny Girl cast before the former joined, creating even more of a connection to the show they were both a part of years ago. 

Everyone remembers where they were when this happened; this being the split-second decision that tainted Will Smith's career overnight. Chris Rock was on stage making his jokes at the Oscars when he tried to make one insensitive one about Will Smith's wife, Jada. Of course, from what we now know, that didn't slide with Will. The protective husband yelled "Keep my wife's name out of your mouth" at Rock, and when that didn't do it for him, the former proceeded to walk on stage and slap the man instead. That action divided the internet, with some siding with Rock and some with Smith. 

Looks after looks after looks – that's what we're expecting from the Barbie movie premiering next year. September saw leaked set photos from the film, including lead actors Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling decked out in their bright and colourful costumes. Social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok were swarmed with excited users making edits and costume analysis videos ahead of the film's debut in 2023. 

2NE1's surprise reunion was the biggest thing to happen at Coachella this year. There, K-pop legend CL brought out her three ex-group members Bom, Dara and Minzy to thunderous applause, performing the group's popular hit song 'I Am the Best'. When asked to describe the feeling, CL had this to say: "We feel so comfortable around each other. Like, it’s been a while, for sure, but it didn’t feel like it. But then also every moment felt unreal when we were together!"

Last but not least, we can't forget Britney Spears and Sam Asghari's intimate dream wedding. The event was the most-talked-about event in June, with notable highlights from the night including the viral group photo with Spears, Donatella Versace, Paris Hilton, Madonna, Selena Gomez, and Drew Barrymore, and Spears and Madonna kissing at the wedding's reception. The iconic group was also filmed singing along to Madonna's 'Vogue'.