Justin and Katy Tie the Knot, Ben Affleck Has One (1) Happy Day + 14 Other Pop Culture Predictions

 

By Stacy Lee Kong

 
 

Image: x.com/kishida230

 

I don’t know about you, but by this point in the year, I am typically fresh out of thoughts. However, I am a professional journalist and know where I can find some: in the hive mind of my similarly pop culture obsessed contemporaries. So, for the last newsletter of 2025, I asked some of my smartest friends to look back on the past year in pop culture and make their best (that is, most niche and ridiculous) predictions on the news cycles we’ll be obsessed with in 2026. Here’s what they had to say.

“The debate of the year: Was Grace right or wrong?”

Bee Quammie, author of The Book of Possibilities 

Best: All of the conversation that came out of Sinners! Not only was it a phenomenal film, but it brought back a communal film experience that we haven't had in a long time. That communal experience led to so much great analysis of Black Southern history, racism, hoodoo practices, interracial solidarity and the debate of the year: was Grace right or wrong? Sinners not only made us think, but it also made us talk to each other—and it feels like Ryan Coogler once again sparked something in many of us artists and creatives.

Worst: It's a tie between that ridiculous girlboss/gatekeep/gaslight space trip on the Blue Origin rocket and Sydney Sweeney's genes—I mean, jeans.

2026 Pop Culture Predictions: Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson get engaged. Labubus become cringe. Gen Alpha becomes obsessed with flip phones, Walkmans and landlines, and starts divesting from social media as their main mode of connection. Beyoncé drops a rock album for Act III (but please, no tour ‘til 2027, I beg).

“We were all shamelessly horny on main and it was a bonding experience”

Katherine Singh, writer, editor and culture critic 

Best: Maybe not the most meaningful overall, but the most meaningful moment for me was the phenomenon that the final season of  The Summer I Turned Pretty became, specifically its encouragement that women lust after Conrad Fisher and yearning men in general. We were all shamelessly horny on main and it was a bonding experience. In a time that’s overall pretty dark, it was really cool to see people come together and find joy in a pop culture moment to this degree. Team Conrad 4Eever. 

Worst: The all-female space flight. While it was exciting on the surface, this moment annoyed me because it confirmed that we as a society have regressed back to 2015 girlboss-era feminism. Because seriously, what does sending a bunch of ultra-wealthy people—many of them using the expedition to promote their own careers and agendas—into space for less than five minutes actually achieve? What about funding programs for BIPOC women who want to pursue space exploration or work in the sciences?

@ellecanada Girl, we just want to know where you stand!!!! #sydneysweeney #gq #politics #celebrity ♬ original sound - ELLE CANADA

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: My nightmare (and highly likely) prediction for 2026 is that Sydney Sweeney will go full MAGA in the new year. We’re already seeing her being Mar-a-Lago’d in front of our eyes: Her refusal to confirm she doesn’t support white supremacy (and the fact that she does not actually wear American Eagle jeans, because c’mon), her progressively old, white and cancellable boyfriends, the terrible bob and this Tiffany Trump homage on late-night TV. It’s happening people!! In 2026, I think Sweeney, emboldened by the current political climate, is going to completely forgo being “coy” about her politics and make a Candace Cameron Bure-style pivot to conservatism. This time next year, she’ll be dating an up-and-coming Republican politician from a typically progressive state… or maybe even JD Vance. 

Runner up: Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and firework Katy Perry elope in Thailand (she already got married in India, so that’s out). It’s a relatively low-key affair. Perry wears a tastefully sheer Danielle Frankel gown, indicative of her pared back aesthetic as she transitions to political spouse/advocate, and our former PM wears linen pants and is, of course, shirtless. They vacation in the country and celebrate their marriage by announcing a joint non-profit. 

“Is a full Rihanna album too much for a smurf to ask for?”

Russ Martin, producer, Pop Pantheon

Best: For those super plugged into pop, Lady Gaga's 2025 comeback was a once-in-a-generation Diva event on par with Tina Turner's Private Dancer, Cher's Believe, Madonna's Ray of Light and Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi. It's hard to remember now, but a little over a year ago, Gaga was down for the count. Everyone hated Joker 2, signalling curtains on her second act as a serious actress. And her big return to pop, “Disease,” landed with a thud commercially, so much so that her beige Bruno Mars collab, "Die With a Smile" was retro-fit into the lead single for album Mayhem.

Then came “Abracadabra”—a spiritual sequel to “Bad Romance” aimed squarely at millennials who still club like it's '09 every now and then. Now, at 38, Gaga has the most popular streaming song on Spotify released by a woman this year. Her Coachella set and record-smashing Rio beach performances both felt like victory laps, but her taking the show on the road was the real reward. I've seen Gaga 19 times and this was, quite unexpectedly, her best tour ever. At the show in Toronto, I sat next to a young queer woman and her mother. I told her I'd seen Gaga perform in that same arena the literal year she was born. To see Gaga at the height at the height of her powers nearly two decades into her career made it feel like, amidst a lot of hopelessness, anything was still possible. 

Worst: Nicki Minaj is, by pretty much any metric, the greatest female rapper of all time. Her technique, word play and character work are untouchable. She entered 2025 coming off a high—her Pink Friday 2 Tour was the highest grossing concert tour for a female rapper ever. Then she spiralled out of control. It's not like Nicki hasn't spiralled in the past; anyone who follows her on Twitter knows she's had plenty of messy nights glued to her phone. But her latest spat with Cardi B, who initially seemed disinterested but ended up getting into the mud, somehow sent her spinning right into a hard right pivot. She's gone full MAGA, to the point where she's posting AI memes featuring her and JD Vance. Over the course of the fall, Nicki seemed determined to completely dismantle her own legacy. Now she's abandoned her queer and trans fans, many of whom are not only responsible for Nicki's virality over the years, but are also the exact demographic who supports pop stars’ careers as they age and ageist general audiences abandon them.  

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: Can I manifest another Diva comeback? I totally gave up on Rihanna, but this year she released a not-totally-terrible dance track for Smurfs and, I know, it's a Smurfs movie song, but Rihanna got in the studio and she signed off on releasing a single. Something about the sonic sleepiness of “Lift Me Up” for the Black Panther soundtrack back in 2022 made me feel like it was over. When people would speculate on a Rihanna comeback, I'd tell them to grow up. But now Rihanna has released a big dance track like it's the EDM boom again. 2026 will mark the 10-year anniversary of Anti, the last and also best Rihanna album. Is a decade enough of a sabbatical? Is a full Rihanna album too much for a smurf to ask for? 

“Honestly? Almost everything pisses me off these days”

Emily MacCulloch, beauty writer and editor and co-founder, The T-Zone

Best: There were a few little beacons of hope that helped to alleviate (if only momentarily) the deep oppressive vibe of 2025. One was Mamdani winning the NYC mayorship and recently, the Louvre heist provided some comic relief! The thieves escaping on scooters was the cherry on top.

Worst: Honestly? Almost everything pisses me off these days. Anything related to the Kardashian/Jenners is always high on that list (please stop polluting the planet with your actual garbage clothing/makeup/skincare/merkins/wellness crap) but Blue Origin's pointless four-minute trip to “space” was beyond dumb.

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: I'm going to need Beyoncé’s Act III to come out and be incredible (and provide me with as much joy as Renaissance did. Please).

“Celebrities are scrambling to be relatable and it’s giving us all the ick”

Meaghan Wray, freelance writer and @urfatbigsis

Best: Without a doubt, the resurgence of blogging. Whether it was triggered by the brief TikTok ban scare in January or a more general burnout with hyper-compressed video culture, 2025 felt like the year people started craving space again for nuance, messiness and generally just thinking out loud in public. As a former Tumblr girly, watching blogging come back—and Substack finally get its roses—has been genuinely meaningful. It feels like a shift toward smaller, less extractive platforms that privilege depth over dopamine and connection over algorithms.

Worst: This was the year of LYING ABOUT BEING ON WEIGHT-LOSS DRUGS. So much so that it's become radical when celebrities are honest about it, which is bananas. I'm sick of the “I just focused on my health/balance/listening to my body” interviews from people who very obviously accessed medical weight-loss tech. I'm not in the no-one-needs-to-disclose camp, especially if they're talking about how they got so small and are skirting around the issue. It's irresponsible, dangerous and reinforces the idea that thinness is a moral achievement. Just be honest.

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: We've already sort of entered this time, but I think 2026 will really mark the first year of the “post-relatable era.” Celebrities and influencers are scrambling to be relatable, and it's giving us all the ick because none of it feels authentic and we're tired of having wealth shoved in our faces.

“I love the mess and the toxicity and dammit I just want a great Emerald Fennell take on that”

Kristen Lopez, pop culture journalist and author of Popcorn Disabilities: The Highs and Lows of Disabled Representation in the Movies

Best: For me it was seeing Sebastian Stan win the Golden Globe for Best Actor for A Different Man. It was one of the best, most pointed examinations of ableism in 2024 and to have Stan use his speech to advocate for more disabled stories—vocal allies are in short supply—was wonderful. It also led to me writing a piece for Variety that nabbed me a National Arts and Entertainment Award so that was just the cherry on the cake. 

Worst: You mean outside of America's current clusterfuck? For me it's how wildly inconsistent the Wuthering Heights trailers have been, and the discourse that people who care about whether the movie is like the book or not are silly. I'm an English major who rereads Wuthering Heights every year. I love the mess and the toxicity and dammit I just want a great Emerald Fennell take on that. Unfortunately, that's not what I'm seeing in the trailers and I really don't need the same people losing their minds over Supergirl or whatever to tell me I'm ridiculous. 

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: Okay, I'm gonna go absolutely wild. My prediction is that Travis and Taylor will break up right before the wedding. But, don't worry, because on the day that would have been her wedding she'll release an album filled with hits about being left at the altar! 

“The real revenge is a career renaissance. To hell with these men!!! Divorce is sexy”

Sadaf Ahsan, culture writer, editor and podcaster

@bunnymacdougal Lily Allen performing Madeline on SNL 🫶🏻 #lilyallen #snl #madeline #dakotajohnson #davidharbor @Lily Allen ♬ original sound - Bunny Macdougal

Best: Lily Allen dropping an entire album that relentlessly and sharply excoriates ex David Harbour was hands down the most spiritually nourishing pop culture moment of the year for me. I’m tired of concept albums about empowerment that end with us still holding the man’s hand and calling a little scolding “growth.” (Cough cough, Lemonade.) Lily practices what she preaches on West End Girl. She came with emotional receipts, hit record and offered the kind of candid screed a celebrity rarely does these days. As a gossip purveyor, I’ve been fed. As a music fan, I’m inspired. As a woman, I’m lit up. The album, which I truly believe is a creative masterpiece, feels radical precisely because it is so unromantic. And to drop it as the final season of Stranger Things premiered? Artful. This is why I’ll notch on Nicole Kidman’s split from Keith Urban, a grown man with bangs, here too. She’s glowing, she’s booked, she’s thriving. The real revenge is a career renaissance. To hell with these men!!! Divorce is sexy.

Worst: Celebrity journalism managed to be the year’s biggest letdown by forgetting the juiciest and most important part of the job: asking the uncomfortable questions. Instead, we got a parade of access journalism so timid it might as well have been written by publicists themselves. I’m talking Rolling Stone granting Taylor Swift’s horrific new album endlessly glowing reviews and marketing; GQ’s now-infamous Sydney Sweeney interview lightly touching on her “great genes” ad campaign; and zero needling on the Ariana Grande/Cynthia Erivo body discourse. Finally, most recently, the journalistic malpractice of multiple publications prematurely announcing that Rob Reiner’s son had murdered him and his wife before confirmation. Like, what is going on? The common thread: A profession increasingly allergic to skepticism, too scared to jeopardize access and increasingly willing to trade credibility for clicks. 

2026 Pop Culture Predictions: Sydney Sweeney fully leans in and starts dating a Trump child—is Baron of age? Also: a Trudeau/Perry baby with bountiful brown hair, inshallah. Erika Kirk gets a talk show. Oh, and I'd like one happy day for Ben Affleck. The end!

“I’m haunted by Taylor Swift singing about Travis Kelce’s ‘Redwood tree’ over a Jackson 5 sample that isn’t actually a Jackson 5 sample”

Sydney Urbanek, culture writer and author of Mononym Mythology

Best: I’ve been a Lady Gaga fan for basically forever, and it was so nice to see her turn several storylines around in 2025. There were a number of years there where it seemed like she was getting pummelled constantly with bad luck… Chromatica being thwarted by the pandemic, having her dogs stolen, Tony Bennett’s illness and passing, giving her all on a couple movies that didn’t quite come together (and had clearly wreaked havoc on her mental health), releasing a bunch of (often very good) music that the general public didn’t love. The whole Mayhem era has felt like a hard-earned smash in light of all of this, and (virtually) witnessing her carry out one of her greatest live shows ever at Coachella was definitely a highlight of my year. 

@itsgabiferrara “Bro u know how big a redwood tree is in real life?!” -@Travis Kelce at practice probably #taylorswift #swifttok #ts12 #TSTheLifeofaShowgirl @Taylor Nation @Taylor Swift ♬ original sound - Isabella Lanter

Worst: I have various less silly gripes from 2025, just for the record, but as I sit down to write this I’m haunted by Taylor Swift singing about Travis Kelce’s “Redwood tree” over a Jackson 5 sample that isn’t actually a Jackson 5 sample.

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: I’m famously awful at predictions so I won’t die on any genre hills (funk rock?), but I do think we can expect the third piece of Beyoncé’s ongoing trilogy in 2026, especially now that it’s been announced she’s co-chairing the Met Gala in May.  

“It's dystopian, and enough to make one log off forever”

Sarah Laing, writer and editor

Best: Getting people out of their own problems by airing your own drama is a gift that should not be underestimated, and for that I thank Lily Allen and every gasp-worthy moment of hyper-specific revelation on West End Girl. I spent most of November humming “I always thought it was a dojo, dojo, dojo,” and it never failed to bring me joy. But also: That recreated phone call in the opening track is one of the more quietly devastating pieces of sound ever recorded. 

Worst: Hearing that much of the negative online chatter that surrounded Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl was the work of a co-ordinated bot attack was disappointing—not because I think she didn't deserve to have the album critiqued, but for what it says about the state of online discourse. It has very few pros at this point, but social media was once interesting as a way to expose yourself to all sorts of different conversations and view-points. You might not agree with it, but at least it was an interesting cultural data point if a vocal corner of real humans on the Internet had decided Taylor Swift's album was a piece of Nazi propaganda. When it turns out that it was just a bunch of bots cynically deployed to trick the algorithm by getting fans engaging with the lies in her defense? It's dystopian, and enough to make one log off forever.

2026 Pop Culture Prediction: Those rumours that Timothée Chalamet is secretly also a rapper named EsDeeKid? Ten thousand percent believe them. The resemblance is just too uncanny to be ignored. (Editor’s note: The tragic breaking news is, he’s not—unless this big reveal was actually a red herring to keep us guessing?!)

And Did You Hear About…

Happy December! To mark the holidays and ring in 2026, I’m bringing my weekly recommendations out from behind the paywall and offering a 25% off sale on paid subscriptions. So, if you’d like to support the work I do with Friday Things—and keep getting these curated recommendations come January—upgrade your subscription here. (Offer valid until Jan. 8, 2026.)

Drew Magary’s 2025 Hater’s Guide to the Williams-Sonoma Catalogue, a holiday season must-read.

The rise of heterofatalism.

Journalist turned consultant turned electronic musical instrument designer Tom Whitwell’s list of things he learned in 2025.

Bloomberg’s annual ‘jealousy list’ of great journalism they wish they’d published. There are lots of gems here, including that Harper’s article on goon culture, The Local’s fascinating piece on the market for Canadian nightcrawler worms (and the temporary foreign workers tasked with harvesting them) and The Cut’s longread on the new undetectable face lift. And it’s not just longform reporting from legacy publications; the list also includes sports journalist Pablo Torre’s podcast episode on the L.A. Clippers and Kawhi Leonard (the episode that introduced me to Torre’s magazine-style approach to podcasting, which I’m now a little obsessed with) and menswear writer Derek Guy’s anti-tariff X thread about Japanese and South Korean fashion.

The compelling argument that A.I. is a slavery fetish.

This year’s seminal philosophical treatise disguised as a tweet. (Past examples: waffles, the text man, you people can’t do anything.)

The Cut’s latest dispatch from NYC nanny-dom. (It’s not looking great, tbh.)

An important scientific discovery that I will almost certainly forget the next time I feel anxious.

This festive history lesson.

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Celebrity, CultureStacy Lee KongAriana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Cardi B, Taylor Swift, Sinners, Ryan Coogler, Megan Thee Stallion, Klay Thompson, Beyonce, Justin Trudeau, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Tina Turner, Cher, Madonna, Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Zohran Mamdani, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, Kris Jenner, Sebastian Stan, Emerald Fennell, Travis Kelce, David Harbour, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Rob Reiner, Ben Affleck, Timothee Chalamet