Many exciting things happened in 2024 and now that we are a month into the new year, it’s time to reflect on the year’s greatest moments.
January
The start of 2024 didn’t have many blockbuster hits, but one recognizable movie released that month was the new “Mean Girls.” Even though “Means Girls” was quite successful and made over $104 million worldwide, it received mixed reviews from viewers. Despite the many mixed reviews, a common aspect was how many people left the theatres enamored by Renee Rapp, the actress who played Regina George.
Towards the end of the month, artist Megan Thee Stallion released her song “Hiss,” which Nicki Minaj took as an attack on her and her husband. However, Megan Thee Stallion has said that the song is about everyone who uses her name for fame. This didn’t stop Nicki Minaj from releasing her song “Big Foot” in response, in which she remarks on Megan’s shooting incident and dead mother.
February
In the world of music, February 2nd was a big night as it was the 66th Grammy Awards. The most notable awards were the Grammys for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best New Artist. Miley Cyrus went home with Record of the Year for her track “Flowers,” but lost Song of the Year to Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” from “Barbie.” Another highly anticipated award was Album of the Year, and this grammy went to Taylor Swift for “Midnights.” During her acceptance speech, she announced that her album “The Tortured Poets Department” would be released in April.
Although she wasn’t new to the music industry, Victoria Monet was recognized as Best New Artist. Grammys aren’t supposed to determine an artist’s worth, and the night is meant to recognize artists’ accomplishments. However, fans at home believed some artists were snubbed by the academy. Despite this, the night was a great celebration of talent and music.
March
A major night for film was the 96th Oscars in March 2024, with blockbuster movies like “Oppenheimer” and “Barbie” taking home multiple awards. Other honorable mentions include “The Zone of Interest” and “Poor Things.”
Another significant night for entertainment was the 76th Emmys. Like the Oscars, there were television series that outshined the rest and at this year’s Emmys, those two were “Shogun” and “The Bear,” with the series “Shogun” taking home 18 Emmys, what an incredible accomplishment! “The Bear” followed close behind with 11 Emmys.
March was a major month for entertainment as several artists released their albums and remarkable movies came out. “Dune: Part Two” premiered in theatres on the first of the month and swept the wind by grossing $282.1 million at the U.S. box office.
Meanwhile, artists like Ariana Grande and Beyonce were releasing their albums. Ariana Grande’s “Eternal Sunshine” came out at the start of March. Beyonce went out of her comfort zone and released her first country album “Cowboy Carter,” which received positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Both of these women’s albums started trends predominantly on TikTok with their songs “We Can’t Be Friends” and “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM” respectively.
April
Zendaya was thriving in 2024 not only with the release of “Dune: Part Two” but “Challengers” as well which premiered in theatres. Fans were captivated by the three college students’ relationships with each other and tennis. Her character, Tashi, and her love for tennis made it an interesting movie to watch. The film later inspired many Halloween costumes.
As announced at the 66th Grammys, Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” was released on April 19. This was not a Taylor’s Version album, but an entirely new album. 2024 was also a great year for Taylor Swift with her continuation of the Eras Tour, winning multiple awards, and her public relationship with Travis Kelce.
May
An artist biopic “Back to Black” about Amy Winehouse was released in May. Although fans seemed to like the movie, most critics hated the film and called it a lazy attempt. On a lighter note, a movie both critics and fans enjoyed was “I Saw The TV Glow.” Audiences appreciated the nostalgic feel the movie had reminding them of classic 90s horror movies. “Hit Me Hard and Soft” by Billie Eilish was one of 2024’s most loved albums. Throughout the summer, “Birds of a Feather” was one of many songs played constantly on the radio. The album was full of great songs and was nominated for multiple awards.
June
Kendrick and Drake’s beef took over the summer, especially with Kendrick’s famous Juneteenth Pop Out Concert. Whether you were a previous fan of the two or were simply interested in the drama, their songs were a significant part of the year. Hits like “Not Like Us” and “Euphoria” from Kendrick were on the top billboard charts for weeks.
Most people have come to an agreement that Kendrick won due to his incredible music, airing out secrets, and his Juneteenth concert. At his concert, where he performed “Not Like Us” five times, many famous people joined the stage, from Dr. Dre to LeBron James. Kendrick managed to unite people in his city and release incredible music while Drake fans were desperate to rewrite who won. Drake also didn’t help the situation as he took off all the songs he released in this rap battle and sang a cover to “Hey There Delilah.”
Another artist who released music was Charli XCX. Her album “Brat” was a summer anthem, with tracks like “Apple” gaining attraction on TikTok with a dance while other fans were talking about “Girl, So Confusing,” which featured Lorde. This was an interesting duet due to past conflicts between the two artists. The album was an overall success for Charli and has already been nominated for multiple awards.
“Inside Out 2” premiered in theatres on June 14 and was an immediate success. Fans loved seeing the character Riley grow and deal with the issues of a typical teenager. Not only did audiences appreciate the film, but it was also the most profitable movie of the year. “Inside Out 2,” despite being a sequel, made $652.9 million.
July
In 2024, many sequels were coming to the theatres, including “Despicable Me 4” Despite it being the sixth movie in the franchise, it was still successful, grossing $361m in the domestic box office. “Deadpool and Wolverine” premiered in July and was also highly successful. The film made $636.7m, making it the second most profitable film of the year according to the U.S. box office. Audiences seemed to love Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman’s dynamic on screen.
Another notable movie released in July was “Twisters” starring Glen Powell. Audiences seemed to have mixed reviews, some said it was a fun tribute to the original while others said there was a lack of depth. Nonetheless, the movie still made 267.7 million dollars in revenue.
August
“Blink Twice” is a film about the horrible things women face in the entertainment industry. The rated R film eerily paralleled the Diddy case that was overtaking the media around the same time. When asked what inspired her to make the film, the director, Zoe Kravitz, stated, “And again, being a woman in this industry in rooms with very powerful people and witnessing different kinds of behavior and having my own experiences, I just felt like I needed to explore that, even just for myself.”
Speaking of the entertainment industry, festivals were also a great part of 2024, such as the annual Lollapalooza. Another headliner was Chappell Roan who made history as she had the largest crowd there. She had thousands of people dancing the “Hot to Go” dance in Grant Park. 2024 was a big year for her, as she made a name for herself with her songs. Chappell Roan is nominated for multiple Grammys including Best New Artist.
September
As summer was ending, we welcomed fall with “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” starring Winona Ryder and Jenna Ortega. The film was a spinoff of the classic while also adding its own twists. According to the American Box Office, it made $294 million and was favored by fans more than critics. A film that had the opposite effect was “The Substance,” as critics loved it more than the fans for its intriguing premise. “The Substance” also received a Golden Globe.
October
A sequel to the 2019 “Joker” movie was released on October 4th, but completely bombed and was disliked by both the fans and critics due to the film being a musical.
Another film in the supervillain genre was released with “Venom: The Last Dance” starring Tom Hardy. This movie did extremely well with fans when compared to “Joker.”
Tyler the Creator’s greatly anticipated album “Chromakopia” was released on the 28th of the month. The album contained incredible songs like “I Hope You Find Your Way Home” and “Thought I Was Dead.” “Chromokopia” inspired multiple high school bands to perform “Sticky” at games. The album in general sparked creativity with people creating dances, edits, and artwork dedicated to both “Chromokopia” and Tyler. Despite its success , “Chromokopia” will not be nominated for the 2025 Grammys due to the deadline for nominations.
November
2024 was a year of sequels as Disney released “Moana 2.” Although it was an enjoyable movie for families, fans noticed a difference between the sequel’s songs and the original due to Lin Manuel-Miranda’s absence. Despite this critique, the movie made $425.2 million at the domestic box office.
One of the most significant films of the year, “Wicked,” impressed both fans of Ariana Grande and musical theater folks alike. Not only was the movie full of outstanding songs but it had a political theme as animals were the scapegoats for a dictator. Fans are now impatiently waiting for the second part of the beloved movie musical. The film grossed over $450 million and was nominated for four Golden Globes, but unfortunately only took one home.
The same day as “Wicked’s” premiere, Kendrick Lamar dropped a surprise album, “GNX.” The album went to number one on the Billboard charts and fans adored the album. “GNX” was celebrated for its flow, artist features, and amazing songwriting which isn’t shocking as Kendrick does have a Pulitzer Prize.
December
Two family-friendly movies that premiered on the same day were “Mufasa: The Lion King” and “Sonic the Hedgehog 3.” Fans loved “Mufasa” for the soundtrack, especially “I Always Wanted a Brother,” which prompted them to make TikToks with their siblings. Out of the two films, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” made slightly more, grossing $216.4 million while “Mufasa” earned $205.9 million according to U.S. box office reports. Critics and fans highly ranked “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and stated it was a good movie to watch with your kids.
One of the many biopics of 2024 was released on Christmas Day. “A Complete Unknown,” starring Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, was well received by fans and critics alike. This was the second movie of 2024 with Timothee Chalamet as the lead actor.
Overall, 2024 was a year full of cultural moments across music, film and entertainment. Last year offered something for every type of fan. What do you think 2025 will have in store for us?
