Here’s what went viral in 2025
As 2025 winds down, we’re taking a look back at the moments that dominated timelines, group chats, and comment sections all year long. From pop stars going to space, to viral concert mishaps, to trends no one can fully explain, this year delivered no shortage of internet-fueled moments. Some were joyful, some baffling, some unavoidable.
And while it’s impossible to capture everything that went viral, these are the moments that stood out most to the team here at Straight Arrow News.
TikTok ban that (almost) was
The year kicked off with a jolt when President Donald Trump announced TikTok would be banned in the U.S. unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, sold the app to an American buyer.
TikTok briefly went dark in January before Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline. That deadline was pushed back multiple times until September, when a group of U.S. investors agreed to purchase 80% of TikTok’s operations – effectively ending the ban threat and keeping the app alive.
In December, ByteDance reached an agreement with the Trump administration, allowing Oracle, private equity firm Silver Lake, and United Arab Emirates-based investment company MGX to join in on a joint venture.
Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl moment
February brought the most-watched halftime show in Super Bowl history. Kendrick Lamar took the stage at Super Bowl LIX, performing his biggest hits – including a Drake diss track that reignited online debate and briefly fueled a defamation lawsuit later dismissed.
Beyond the music, Lamar’s fashion choices also sparked conversation, with fans scrambling to identify and buy the jeans he wore during the performance.
Katy Perry goes to space
Yes – literally.
In April, Katy Perry joined Blue Origin’s historic NS-31 mission, becoming part of the first all-female spaceflight. After returning to Earth, Perry kissed the ground – a moment that instantly went viral.
Social media lit up with reactions ranging from awe to confusion, with many questioning how this particular group of women ended up sharing a rocket. Either way, the internet couldn’t look away.
The first American pope
After Pope Francis died in April, the Vatican elected an American for the first time in history.
Enter Pope Leo – a Chicago-native – and the memes follow almost immediately. Social media filled with images of the new people in Chicago sports gear, clutching hot dogs, and repping the city in every imaginable way. Even the Chicago White Sox chimed in with a congratulatory post.
U.S. political leaders, including former President Barack Obama and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, also weighed in on the historic moment.
The Coldplay kiss cam incident
One of the most talked-about viral moments of the year unfolded at a Coldplay concert in Massachusetts.
As the kiss cam swept through the crowd, it landed on a man and woman embracing – who quickly turned away and tried to hide once they realized they were on the big screen.
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin summed it up on the spot: “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy.”
Internet sleuths did the rest. It soon emerged that both were married, but not to each other, and that the man was the CEO of the company where the woman worked.
From there, the story exploded across social media.
‘KPop Demon Hunters’ takes over Netflix
What started out as a movie aimed at younger viewers became a full-blown cultural moment.
“KPop Demon Hunters” surged to the top of Netflix’s charts, becoming the platform’s most successful film to date. The story, about a K-pop idol group that secretly hunts demons, resonated far beyond its target audience.
The voice actors behind the characters went on tour, performed the movie’s music on late-night TV, and helped turn the film into a global phenomenon.
Labubus
Equal parts adorable and unsettling. Labubus became one of the year’s strangest fashion trends.
The toothy plush dolls showed up clipped to handbags, backpacks, and outfits everywhere. Some people loved them. Others found them deeply unsettling. Either way, Labubus were impossible to ignore, and collectors drove the trend to massive popularity.
Taylor Swift gets engaged
Swifties, rejoice.
In August, Taylor Swift announced her engagement to Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Her Instagram post racked up 37 million likes and sent fans into full speculation mode.
Now, attention has shifted to what comes next: a wedding expected sometime in 2026.
‘67’ – and no, it still doesn’t make sense
One of the most confusing viral trends of the year was also one the most widespread.
“67” – a slang term with no clear definition – took off across social media to the point that Dictionary.com named it the word of the year. If you have a tween or teen, you’ve almost certainly heard it more times than you’d like. Why it caught on remains a mystery.
The Louvre jewelry heist
One of the final viral moments of the year came from Paris.
Thieves broke into the Louvre through a side window and stole eight imperial jewels, including a sapphire diadem, an emerald necklace, and a brooch belonging to Empress Eugenie, the wife of Napoleon III.
Police reported the jewels are valued at more $102 million, not including their historical significance. Multiple arrests have been made, and the museum has faced renewed scrutiny over its security.
And plenty more
Other moments that lit up the internet this year included the Conrad vs. Jeremiah debate, the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad, and Cracker Barrel changing – then reversing – its logo redesign.
2025 delivered its share of chaos, curiosity, and collective obsession. Here’s to whatever the interstate decides to do with 2026.
The post Here’s what went viral in 2025 appeared first on Straight Arrow News.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
