Looking back from 2025, it’s almost comical to think how much of a rollercoaster 2024 was, especially if we take into account the microtrends that took over our lives for 10 days (give or take, depending on how quickly Instagram and TikTok decided to discard them). In the immensely frenzied realm of social media, trends were popping up and disappearing before an Instagram model could say “au revoir”. We kicked off 2024, knees deep in a “brat summer” dominated by neon green signs all over X and Instagram. In a few months, winter hit and life was all about holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity.
not like us
On May 4, 2024 Kendrick Lamar dropped Not Like Us, the hater anthem of the year. It didn’t just shake the music industry, it broke it. The beat? Catchy. The lyrics? Ruthless. I could almost hear the collective gasp from across the globe the moment “A minorrrrrrr” reverberated through our speakers and caused a seismic shift worldwide. Everyone was left asking “Did he really say that?” Yes, yes, he did, loud enough for both the world and Drake to hear. That one line instantly became a meme, a rallying cry for all Kendrick fans who have thrown a side eye at Drake’s antics.
It came in like a wrecking ball, breaking all records and ruling social media for weeks but like all things that rise too fast, Not Like Us had to face its inevitable decline. It’s gone but not completely, it’s etched in the history of hip-hop music like the mark on your knee from middle school. It burned bright and somehow managed to stay iconic even after the flames cooled down. It may not be trending on X anymore but best believe that historians will be talking about “A minorrrrrrrr” for decades to come.
brat summer
2024 was undeniably the year of neon green and you can thank Charli XCX’s album Brat for the explosion of chaos and colour. Soon after the album’s release, Gen Z collectively branded 2024 as the “season of brat”, an era defined by defiant energy. What exactly is Brat, you ask? Picture this: a rebellious anthem of chaos, effortless cool girl fashion and 365 party animal energy. It is feral. It is green. It’s all about ceasing to pretend to have it all together and accepting the messiness that life brings in its train. Brat wasn’t just an album but an attitude, a lifestyle. There was no escaping Brat. Neon green signs took the world by storm and popped up everywhere. Brat also found allies in the most unpredictable public figures such as Kamala Harris.
But alas, like all fleeting trends, the neon green wave had to crest and crash. After a few months of endless lime green posts flooding social media, people began to grow… well, a little tired of it. The “Brat” aesthetic began to fade, the neon signs dimmed and people were all set for the next trend to take over their lives.
look-alike contests
It all started when the unimaginable happened: millions of Willy Wonkas arrived to the Washington Square Park. It wasn’t a flash mob or an art display, it was the grand occasion of a Timothée Chalamet look-alike contest. Why Timothée, you ask? Because there’s no better way to celebrate the Lisan-al-Gaib’s mere existence. As the doppelgängers poured in, it became obvious that it wasn’t just a contest but a gathering where the future of the human race would be decided. And what was the criterion, you ask? The perfect curls, the subtle smirk and of course, Chalamet’s effortless and magnetic charisma. This absurdity of this spectacle reached its zenith when Timothée himself casually strolled into the scene causing the crowd to lose it completely.
This was only the beginning. Soon, look-alike contests spread like wildfire for every significant figure in the public eye. Zendaya, Harry Styles, Paul Mescal and surprisingly Luigi Mangione – each had their own band of doppelgängers competing for the title.
However, the look-alike trend fizzled out as quickly as it had exploded. What began as a quirky tribute to pop culture icons morphed into a chaotic carnival. It became less about the art of imitation and more about who could outdo the other with their not-so-uncanny resemblance. Eventually, the look-alike contests faded away faster than you could say “Wait, what are those contests again?” It turns out there’s only one Timothée who has more charisma than his band of look-alikes combined.
wicked
Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, the duo bringing the beloved characters of Glinda and Elphaba to the big screen in their highly anticipated movie, Wicked embarked on a rather bizarre press tour in November 2024. Their interviews were filled with laughter, tears and their recollections of their obsession with theatre during their childhood. It wasn’t just a press tour but a love letter to Wicked, its characters and the iconic story.
But that wasn’t all. The internet was flooded by clips of Cynthia Erivo hitting jaw dropping high notes in a supermarket aisle while casually picking a tray of eggs. “That’s my line” took over the internet and became a meme staple. Fans couldn’t help but imitate her (well, try to imitate her). You’d see clips of people from across the globe trying to hit Erivo’s high note as if they were auditioning for the role of a lifetime.
Then came the moment that changed it all. The “holding space for the lyrics of Defying Gravity” interview. The clip features journalist Tracey E. Gilchrist who casually says ““People are taking the lyrics of Defying Gravity and really holding space with that, and feeling power in that.” Cynthia, in absolute confusion, put a hand on her chest in bewilderment and replied “I didn’t know that was happening”. In a moment of support, Ariana reached over and held Cynthia’s finger (or rather her nail extensions) offering a gesture of solidarity which eventually became a meme that would linger long after the press tour ended.
The decline of Wicked memes unfolded faster than Elphaba’s flying broomstick. What started as hilarious and magical soon became overexposed. The internet, ever quick to move on, eventually grew weary of seeing the same high notes and exaggerated gestures. Soon, the Wicked memes were no more, leaving only echoes of “Defying Gravity” in their wake.
From Kendrick Lamar’s jaw-dropping track to the surge of Brat summer, 2024 was a year where memes reigned but nothing lasted long enough to feel permanent. Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s press tour for Wicked became a meme factory in its own right while Timothée Chalamet’s look-alike contest paved the way for celebrity impersonation. In the blink of an eye, trends rose and faded, leaving behind a reminder of the power of social media in shaping culture and how quickly ideas can catch fire and cool down even quicker.
For more articles like these, check out Her Campus at MUJ.