Pop Culture Primer 1.6.25
My pop culture predictions for 2025
Ah, 2025. Here at last. And with it, another year of pop culture predictions for me. There was a lot of ground to cover—the internet leaves very little time to reflect on things before the next new thing captures the attention of the zeitgeist. But, despite that, I have an inkling about how a few things might shake out. I made 25 predictions this year, but I’m going to talk about five of them, because I don’t think people want to read that much tbh.
Taylor and Travis Engagement
I’m fairly confident in my prediction that we’ll see an engagement between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce this year. Both of them had immensely successful 2024s, and this kind of personal accomplishment would be icing on the cake. At this point, I’m more confident in calling this than trying to predict when Taylor will drop RepTV.
I don’t think we’ll see a wedding in 2025—even if they do it privately, I don’t imagine we’d hear about it until 2026—but I do think they’ll throw us a bone with an engagement. Something to keep the fans happy, you know?
Timothée Chalamet and Kylie Jenner Pregnancy (and resulting Club Chalamet meltdown)
Every time I think this couple is done, they’re seen in public and prove me wrong. It’s been over a year since Timothee and Kylie have gone public, and they seem to be more serious than ever.
At the tailend of last year, Kylie posted a video that got people speculating she could be pregnant. The bag placement??? Come on. But Kylie has trolled pregnancy before, so who knows?
As for the Club Chalamet meltdown (she’s the poster behind the infamous account), I think we’ll see the number one Timothée stan on social media meltdown in a way we’ve never seen before. And truly, it will be something to watch.
Chappell Roan Sophomore Album Flop
This one pains me to write. I love Chappell Roan. I went to her concert this past summer and had the time of my life. I’m obsessed with what she’s doing for pop music, love how she sets boundaries with fans, and she’s a fascinating case study for controlling one’s image online.
But I think Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess was so big, so iconic, so everywhere, that she’s going to struggle to keep the momentum. Case in point: she’s debuted two singles (Subway and The Giver) in the past six months and has yet to drop them for public consumption.
Given that she’s had a hard time adjusting to the monumental amounts of fame she arrived in through the past year (and who can blame her?), I wonder if having a flop or an album that doesn’t live up to the hype could actually be good for her and the level of fame she’s comfortable with.
Glen Powell Controversial Girlfriend
Look, I love everyone’s favorite doggy daddy as much as the next woman. I recently watched Twisters on a flight and was thoroughly entertained. He is most certainly settling into his spot as the king of the romcom, which has been desperately needed.
But this is why I think he’s going to hit a stumbling block. In the past year or so, Glen has been single—often toting around his little dog, which is very, very cute. I think, however, that if he does start dating this one, it will be one of those things where no one is good enough for him in the eyes of the public.
He might date someone significantly younger than him (age gap discourse is all the rage right now). He might date someone that falls in an unfavorable position on the political spectrum. Who knows, but I can feel something brewing in my bones, and I think we’ll see it in 2025.
Ariana and Sponge Bob Break Up
At the risk of the stans finding me, I have to disclose that I’ve never been a massive Ariana fan. Her music is fine. I really did enjoy her in Wicked. But her personal life as of late has been quite the turn-off for me.
Allegedly, Ariana and Sponge Bob (Ethan Slater) met on the set of Wicked. Sponge Bob, who was married to his high school sweetheart and had just had a baby, engaged in an extramarital affair, leading to divorce. If you haven’t read the essay by his ex-wife Dr. Lilly Jay, I highly recommend it. It’s one of the best things I’ve read this year, which is saying a lot.
All this to say, I think the shine of the new relationship and the high from promoting Wicked is going to wear off for the pair, and I think we’ll see a split at some point in 2025. Will it be before or after Wicked Part Two? That, my friends, I do not know.
Let me know what you think of my predictions. What did I get wrong? What am I missing? I would love to chat about any and all of them!
