2024 was a year of scandal, entertainment, and memes for the books. It was hard to narrow it down; however, five memorable moments stood out.
We’re going to make this quick because knee surgery is tomorrow.
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The Rise (and Fall) of Chappell Roan
Chappell Roan’s studio album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess” was released on September 22, 2023. Though the album didn’t garner much attention upon initial release, and the Midwest Princess herself was thinking of giving up, her smash hit “Good Luck, Babe!” hit the charts in 2024.
This brought her a supernova of fame. Chappell Roan’s influence was like a “Femininomenom” across the world. Her innovative pop music, bold music videos, touching lyrics, and unabashed sense of style (see Tiny Desk concert) inspired people to be themselves. Her “Casual” mentions of her own sexuality in her songs resonated with LGBTQ+ fans everywhere.
It’s safe to say Chappell Roan created a cultural reset. The pink pony girl began to lose support in mid-2024 when fans reported rude behavior, impolite manners on red carpets, and controversial political views that raised eyebrows. Chappell began canceling shows due to anxiety, and some even say this “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” can’t handle her newfound fame.
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Liam Payne’s Death
On October 26, 2024, ex-One Direction member Liam Payne passed away after falling off the balcony of his Buenos Aires hotel room. Long-time 1-D fans were distraught at the sudden death and quickly began to wonder how the other ex-boy band members were coping after experiencing years of friendship with Payne.
Soon after the death, all four ex-band members made statements on various social media platforms, sharing their heartbreak at the news. Even national sensation Harry Styles broke his year-long social media silence to commemorate his ex-bandmate.
Memorials were held nationwide, “Strip That Down” serenading in backround, and a funeral commenced on November 20, where remaining One Direction members made their first public appearance together in over a decade.
The unfortunate passing of Liam Payne just goes to show just how quickly the night can change.
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2024 Paris Olympics
The Summer Olympics of 2024 hit the City of Love and captured the hearts of many. The games included a few new and unconventional events such as skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, and break dancing, which made their iconic debut.
One of the most noteworthy moments from the 2024 Summer Games was the unusual and hysterical performance of Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn, commonly known as “Raygun.”
Fans swooned when Swedish pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis ran straight into the arms of his girlfriend after setting a world record.
American gymnast Stephen Nedorastik had thousands rooting for him after he killed it on the pommel horse for Team USA.
Overall, people worldwide turned on their televisions to witness the world’s best athletes compete, and Paris, France, proved to be a welcoming host.
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Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar
During the spring of 2024, “beef” between rappers Drake and Kendrick Lamar took hold of the media. The conflict consisted of the two artists releasing a series of songs back and forth, attacking one another due to a series of disputes in past years.
Shots had been fired between the two since they first collaborated in 2012, yet the beginning of this year brought on a slew of new, next-level diss tracks.
The most famous of these works were “Push Up” by Drake and “They Not Like Us” by Kendrick. The lyrical brawling has ceased, yet problems between the two rappers do not seem to be fully resolved.
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Beyonce and P Diddy Conspiracies
Famous Rapper P Diddy was jailed in 2024 after being charged with several accounts of sexual assault and human trafficking. People online took to conspiring about Diddy’s zone of influence, the most outrageous take being about Beyonce’s involvement in P Diddy’s crimes.
Fans online began piecing together how close Beyonce was to P Diddy, seeing how she attended plenty of his events along with countless other Hollywood stars. Online sleuths noted how stars like Adele profusely thanked Beyonce at award shows, almost like they were scared of her.
Even the famous Taylor Swift-Kanye West incident at the 2013 VMAs was called into consideration. The use of J. Coles’ song “She Knows” in videos brought up some mysterious celebrity deaths, such as Left Eye, Aaliyah, and Michael Jackson, suggesting that the “She” in the song is Beyonce, and “She” knows that the deaths were not an accident.
Though these claims may seem hysterical, Beyonce’s highly critiqued album “Cowboy Carter” was nominated for Album of the Year, over prospects such as Ariana Grande. Now that doesn’t seem right, does it… Before this article wraps up, let’s thank Beyonce for making this possible.
