A 2022 Rundown: From Memes To Pop Culture Moments

30 December 2022, 14:17

Here's the rundown of every pop culture moment that took 2022 by storm...

2022 is coming to a close, so it's only natural that we're all getting a little nostalgic about everything that's happened over the past 12 months.

Across the board, from music to film and television to internet memes – it's been a jam-packed year of unforgettable pop culture moments!

The Biggest Albums Of 2022: Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, Lizzo & More

Of course, we couldn't resist curating a month-by-month breakdown, read on to get your fix of this year's biggest events (and get some inspiration for your end of year pop culture quizin the process)...

So, what happened in 2022? Taylor Swift, Wednesday, Harry Styles, Don't Worry Darling, the Kardashians and so much more...

January 2022

Euphoria kicked off 2022 with limitless memes

January started on a high with the release of Euphoria's highly-awaited second season!

The HBO series built upon its widely successful debut and it's safe to say that the Euphoria-mania took on another form in 2022.

Season two treated fans to drama on tap and the memes didn't stop flying either – we had never, ever been happier!

February 2022

We couldn't get Julia Fox's 'Uncut Gems' out of our heads

The first thing that comes to mind when we think of February is... Uncah jams.

The internet was set alight when a clip of Julia Fox on a podcast went viral, her bizarre pronunciation of the film Uncut Gems had everyone creating memes left, right and centre.

We were addicted to Pam & Tommy

Do you remember that month or two when we were all desperately waiting for the new episode of Pam & Tommy to drop?

Lily James and Sebastian Stan stole our hearts with their scarily persuasive portrayals of the iconic 90s couple, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

It's been confirmed that Pam & Tommy will remain limited to one season, but the Baywatch actress confirmed that her Netflix documentary Pamela, a love story is coming in January 2023 – so we'll be getting our fix of the star!

March 2022

When did Will Smith slap Chris Rock?

Undeniably, 'Slapgate' was one of the most bizarre moments 2022 had in store, Will Smith unforgettably struck Chris Rock on March 28 as the comedian hosted the Oscars, causing an avalanche of reactions by viewers and celebrities alike.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star famously slapped the comedian on stage after Chris made a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.

Academy Award viewers were divided by the shocking event, with some condemning the actor's actions, however, others used the now-infamous footage for meme material...

Watch the full confrontation between Will Smith and Chris Rock live on the Oscars stage after gag about Jada Pinkett Smith

April 2022

We couldn't stop dancing to 'About Damn Time'

Thank the lord for Lizzo! Music lovers got brand-new songs from the musician this year, and in April came the first taste of her album, 'Special'.

'About Damn Time', the lead single, was an instant bona fide bop that commanded everyone's attention on TikTok (and the charts)!

Let's be honest, we've all had the lyrics "In a minute, I'mma need a, sentimental man or woman, to pump me up" bouncing around our heads all year.

'As It Was' began its reigns as the year's biggest song

We think we're all in agreement when we say 'As It Was' was one of the biggest tracks (if not the biggest track) of the year, and its reign first began in April. What a masterpiece.

Speaking of Harry...

Harry Styles shares BTS of As It Was music video shoot

May 2022

Harry styles graced us all with his third studio album

The Harry mania was in full force by May with the release of 'Harry's House', treating fans to 13 brand-new tracks.

The drop came just in time for summer and it's safe to say that we were listening to HS3 tunes for the rest of the year! But the world domination doesn't stop with music, Harry forayed into the film world in a big way in 2022, but more on that later...

Little Mix said goodbye 'for now'

Now this one hurts. Little Mix announced their planned hiatus with plenty of time to spare, but that didn't make it any easier when May rolled around and the girl group's break began.

The trio ended things with a nostalgic bang when they completed their 'Confetti Tour', we'll be revisiting all those electric final performances until the ladies decide to regroup!

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A post shared by Little Mix (@littlemix)

Sam Ryder made Eurovision history

The 2022 instalment of Eurovision was something to behold, Sam Ryder captured hearts across the globe with his performance of 'SPACEMAN', and became the UK's sweetheart in the process!

He finished in second place, meaning he was the highest-scoring UK entrant since 1998 (wow), everyone was on cloud nine as they saw this historic result unfold.

Kim Kardashian stepped out in Marylin Monroe's dress at the Met Gala

Kim Kardashian stole the show with her Met Gala 2022 look when she showed up at the fashion event wearing a legendary Marilyn Monroe gown.

The reality star donned the famous dress that was worn by Monroe when she iconically sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to President John F Kennedy in 1962. The reactions to Kim borrowing from the Hollywood icon's wardrobe were of course mixed, with some praising it as a pop culture moment and others finding it disrespectful.

Photos of Kim wearing the 60-year-old gown were shared all over the world and a post of the alleged 'damage' to the historical garment went viral, sparking a huge online debate.

June 2022

Capital's Summertime Ball returned for 2022

The UK's biggest summer party returned to London's Wembley Stadium for a jaw-dropping day of music.

An 80,000-strong crowd was treated to performances from none other than Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta, Mabel and many more – wow!

Harry Styles – Late Night Talking – Capital's Summertime Ball 2022

Sam Ryder - SPACE MAN (Live at Capital's Summertime Ball 2022) |

Stranger Things catapulted Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' to new heights

The power of television! Stranger Things gave Kate Bush a renaissance when they used her 37-year-old track in a pivotal episode of the Netflix show's fourth season.

'Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)' was everyone's favourite song in 2022 despite it originally coming out in 1985, it even soared to Number 1 on the Sky VIP Offical Big Top 40 from Global.

Since the iconic scene's use in the unforgettable Sadie Sink-led scene, Kate Bush has earned approximately £2,000,000 since the episode aired!

July 2022

When was the hottest day of the year UK?

It was undeniably a hot, hot summer in 2022, what with the multiple record-breaking heat waves that plagued June and July!

History was made on July 19 when temperatures soared to an unbelievable 40.3 °C in the UK, becoming the hottest day ever recorded by the Met Office.

The sweltering temperatures kept many indoors, which of course, led to a lot of online discourse around the heatwaves.

The Love Island drama was in full swing

Love Island's eighth season began in June but all the tea was piping hot come July! Every episode seemed to spark a Twitter debate or a slew of memes and we can't lie... we were hooked and watching that screen. Every. Single. Night.

Our villa highlight of 2022 has got to be Davide Sanclimeni's legendary line to his now girlfriend: "You're a liar. Actress. Go the f*** out."

And now the couple is king and queen of the villa, we love a happy ending!

August 2022

Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson broke up

One of 2022's biggest celeb couples called time on their relationship in August – the split was almost as shocking as when they first got together.

Fans were treated to glimpses of the loved-up pair on The Kardashians but the love story came to a close in the summer, they "decided to just be friends" but we'll never forget all the 2022 moments from this unlikely pairing.

September 2022

The Don't Worry Darling drama ruled our lives

We had been counting down the days all year until we finally got to see Don't Worry Darling. The film dropped on September 23 but not without having one of the most dramatic lead-ups to a release in recent years.

Every day a new headline or theory seemed to be coming out about the Olivia Wilde-directed flick – and that was before it even came out! We were all on the edge of our seats to see Harry Styles' movie debut as a leading man and it was one of the most talked-about moments of 2022!

From the 'spitgate' media storm between Harry and Chris Pine to Florence Pugh's decision to skip out on some of the movie's promotional tour, there was an undeniably hectic energy surrounding the film.

The love for Miss Flo has only grown since the release of the psychological thriller and her star power has shown no signs of stopping since – and the beloved character of Alice was one of the most popular Halloween costumes of the year!

October 2022

When did Elon musk buy Twitter?

Elon Musk's infamous acquisition of Twitter finally came to a close on October 27, 2022, after months of back and forth.

Soon after he purchased the social media giant at an eye-watering $44 billion, came an avalanche of changes made to the platform...

"Negroni...sbagliato...with prosecco in it”

Our internal monologues have been repeating this phrase non-stop since we first saw the TikTok of Emma D'Arcy revealing their favourite drink.

The world of Westeros returned in 2022 with the release of House of the Dragon, the series catapulted a new cast of actors to stardom and fans instantly fell in love.

Emma D'Arcy and Olivia Cooke were on everybody's minds after their joint interview for HBO went viral, and the actors' delivery is so satisfying to watch. Some are even calling it the internet moment (and the drink) of 2022!

Taylor Swift made us wait until Midnight

Taylor Swift soundtracked the remainder of our year when she dropped her highly-anticipated tenth studio album, 'Midnights' in autumn.

Swifties were sent into a frenzy when they first listened to the 13 new masterpieces (plus seven '3am' bonus tracks), with many celebrating the pop icon's return to a production sound that was similar to the likes of '1989' and 'Reputation', but with the lyricism of' folklore' and 'evermore'.

She proved once and for all with this record that she is a mastermind and we can't wait for the chance to see this pop industry powerhouse live in concert in 2023 – fingers crossed!

November 2022

Wednesday ruled our watch habits

Netflix's Addams Family spin-off series dropped on November 28 and the buzz surrounding Wednesday quickly reached a fever pitch!

The cast gained millions of followers in just a couple of weeks, spawned its very own viral dance trend, and even attracted a flock of A-list fans – this is one of Netflix's biggest wins to date!

As a result, Jenna Ortega is now television's 'It girl', when you have the likes of Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian doing a dance you choreographed, you know you've made it.

Jenna Ortega and Wednesday cast react to her dance scene

December 2022

The UK's biggest Christmas party ended the year on a high

What better way is there to end the year than with Capital's Jingle Bell Ball?

The #CapitalJBB returned to The O2 in December to throw the UK's biggest Christmas party, treating 16,000 Ballers to performances from Dua Lipa, Stormzy, Sam Smith, Lewis Capaldi, Coldplay and more – what a weekend it was!

What will 2023 have in store?

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