This summer was filled with taking revenge on stupid men, love triangles and k-pop superstars ‘fighting’ against demons. “Manchild,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty” TV show and the “KPop Demon Hunters” movie skyrocketed in a span of two months. How and why did they become so popular?
A witty and honest song with a catchy 70s/80s country-pop sound about disappointing men has grown into a global song. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Manchild” debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the singer’s first single to debut at the top spot. Its universal themes of relationships ending badly garnered 27.1 million streams in the United States so far. A song written by Amy Allen, Jack Antonoff and Carpenter herself introduces her album “Man’s Best Friend,” which was released on Aug. 29. The music video, co-directed by Vania Heymann and Gal Muggia, creates a fun blend of country, art, acting and culture that can be easily relatable, unifying millions of listeners due to its distinctive take on relationships and its outcomes. The funny and brilliant lyrics with the visually rich video creates a memorable song that will be remembered as a touchstone of summer 2025.
Are you team Conrad or team Jeremiah? Jenny Han’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty” trilogy became the most watched tv show this summer with season three receiving 25 million viewers in the first week of its release. It is a cherished show. “The Summer I Turned Pretty” explores relevant and familiar themes such as love, friendship and growing up. The show is based on many life experiences such as love, betrayal and tension which draws the spectator’s attention. Watching the series became a collective task among friends and family, hearing discussions about it and seeing groups of people all watching it together. The series also includes the University’s talented Christopher Briney who impressively plays Conrad. It encapsulates empathetic themes, young and successful actors which beautifully represent Han’s books.
KPop superstars Rumi (Arden Cho), Mira (May Hong), and Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) are super girls protecting the people from an ever-present supernatural danger: a rival boy band group of demons in disguise. The animated film, “Kpop Demon Hunters,” is currently streaming on Netflix and produced in partnership with Sony Pictures Animation. It’s directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans and features a script by Danya Jimenez, Hannah McMechan, Kang and Appelhans. The film rose in popularity this summer with the New York Times stating it is “charming, funny, and artfully punchy.” Its popularity derives from it being Netflix’s most popular English-language film ever, with more that 300 million views. The special sing-along version of the film hit theatres around the world on Saturday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 24, skyrocketing it to the top of the weekend box office in North America. Universal themes of ‘it’s okay to be yourself’ are deeply explored because it shines a light on the parts you’ve hidden or are ashamed of. The characters learn to integrate these aspects into their identity rather than letting shame control them. These ‘powerpuff’ girls make the movie exciting and fun.
This summer proved that pop culture thrives on messy love, trips to Paris and animated idols battling demons. Each unique piece offered a mix of relatability, nostalgia and collective joy, turning fleeting entertainment into some of the most defining moments of summer 2025.
