By Nicole Horton
The year 2014 provided many buzzed-about moments for popular culture. Some notable highlights include the revitalization of Matthew McConaughey’s career as a serious actor that culminated in his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club, Pharrell Williams’s feel-good anthem “Happy” and his favorite Smokey the Bear hat, ice bucket challenge videos to benefit the ALS Foundation, Ellen Degeneres’s star-powered Oscar selfie and Iggy Azalea showing she was a force to be reckoned with in the hip-hop and rap genres.
Of course, there were some incidents that ranged from serious blunders to events bordering on PR disasters, such as Justin Bieber’s happiest mugshot ever, Gwyneth Paltrow avoiding the term divorce in favor of consciouse uncoupling, Shia LaBeouf’s strange behavior and arrest, Robin Thicke’s desperate, publicized attempts to win back his ex-wife and Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations. Here are some predictions for the upcoming year in popular culture and media
Two Young Female Artists Will Further Solo Careers
Prior to the 2015 release of her next studio album Right Here, Right Now (her first since 2009), Jordin Sparks released a nine-track EP entitled #ByeFelicia. This mixtape showcases Sparks’s exemplary voice with a more edgy R&B style, but still features her usual pop sound that her fans from “American Idol” would enjoy. After a publicized break-up with fellow singer Jason Derulo, she directly slams him in a remix of Drake’s “How Bout Now.” She asks, “Remember when you broke your neck and I had to wash your back for ya?” This EP shows a more mature, feisty Jordin switching it up as she looks to revitalize her career.
In 2014, Charli XCX burst onto the music scene while singing the hook on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” one of the most popular tracks of the year. She followed that with her hit single “Boom Clap” featured in the movie The Fault in Our Stars. She released her second full-length album SUCKER in mid-December, featuring collaborators like Rivers Cuomo and Vampire Weekend’s Rostam Batmanglij to recreate energetic party music. It is likely that Charli XCX will gain respect as a solo artist as she performs tracks from SUCKER and tours.
Jamie Dornan’s Fifty Shades of Grey Debut
Fifty Shades of Grey is premiering Valentine’s Day weekend, which is a fun option for an outing with friends amidst the romance. Fans of the book trilogy have already come out in droves to buy tickets, as it became Fandango’s fastest-selling movie. However, not all of the buzz has been positive leading up its premiere.
Critics say that Jamie Dornan and his co-star Dakota Johnson lack on-screen chemistry, and fans have been critical of his casting (although Dornan faced less criticism than Charlie Hunnam, who dropped out prior to production). Nevertheless, it is quite possible that this will be Dornan’s blockbuster debut and star vehicle as he portrays the sexy, brooding and powerful Christian Grey. He may find himself following Robert Pattinson, whose role in the much-anticipated Twilight achieved him fame, as well as widespread adoration from a wide subset of females.
First Uber, now Postmates
Before the New Year the app Postmates launched a delivery Application Program Interface available to merchants, improving its popularity and accessibility. Customers use Postmates to place a delivery order from any restaurant (mostly ones that don’t deliver), shopping locations, pharmacies, hardware stores and other locations.
They are then matched with a Postmates courier who makes the purchase and delivers it within an hour. Following the success of the transportation app Uber in New York City, Postmates has the potential to have its most successful year in 2015. Aside from New York City, its markets include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia and other big cities.
Interactive Roleplaying App Games
According to Forbes, Kim Kardashian Hollywood amassed over $200 million in 2014. Time even voted her digital alter ego as the second most influential fictional character. What makes Glu Games’s app a unique endeavor is that the user’s goal is to become as famous as possible while living a globetrotting lifestyle.
Along with generating new content, its frequent updates make it impossible for users to beat the game. Users can also connect with Facebook friends’ characters. The game is free to download and play, although users can spend money within the app to buy more energy and fashion in order to advance in the game. This has helped Glu Games achieve greater profits, while not deterring people who do not want to pay.
Whether or not other celebrities sponsor interactive app games, there will probably be other games like Kim Kardashian Hollywood. For instance, So Drama Studios announced that it will be releasing a Mean Girls app in early 2015. The company has promised fans that their favorite quotes and events will appear in the game, so expect it to be fetch and Oct. 3 every day. As you play through the different levels and try to defeat the “new upstart Plastics,” you can earn Mean Girls approved items, such as Kalteen bars and tiara pieces to improve your popularity.
Celebrity Award Show Promotions
Oscar host Ellen Degeneres’s impromptu selfie with celebrities such as Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie was actually a publicity stunt by Samsung. This staged selfie (kudos to Bradley Cooper for his long arms and photography skills) shows that not only the networks can promote brands during a broadcast. At this year’s ceremony, maybe we will be seeing Neil Patrick Harris eating a Doritos Locos taco during his opening monologue or casually sipping Pepsi before introducing a presenter.
New Netflix Additions
Netflix started off the New Year acquiring new television shows and movies, along with providing new seasons for others like “White Collar” and “Psych.” One of the much anticipated newcomers is “Friends,” which depicts life for a tightknit group of 20-somethings in New York City, mostly in Monica Geller’s unrealistically large apartment and coffee shop Central Perk. Along with “Friends,” “Gilmore Girls” also gained fan and online buzz when it was released late fall, in the form of Buzzfeed quizzes and episode-watching guides. Fans of both series have been clamoring for movie reunions, so perhaps their Netflix debuts will revitalize or further production talks.
Downfall of “Girls”
The Season 4 premiere of “Girls” exhibited a 40 percent drop in ratings from last year’s premiere. Prior to this season “Girls” did not show any signs of slowing down, but star Lena Dunham’s unarguable PR disasters may have turned off some of her audience. Her autobiography featured inappropriate interactions with her younger sister and rape accusations that were considered “full of holes,” prompting Random House to omit that excerpt in future printings. Lena Dunham shows that a star’s personal life and revelations can have a major effect on ratings.
Runway and Sidewalk Trends
One of the most recent trends to hit the runway — most recently the Golden Globes red carpet — is snake-inspired jewelry. Birdman star Naomi Watts wore an eye-popping yellow gown and a dazzling diamond Bulgari snake necklace. Many fashion analysts and fans were impressed by her statement necklace. Another fashion trend that is most likely to remain is the omnipresent crop top — whether it is featured in the winter with a cardigan or baring skin in the summer. It was heavily featured in Fall 2014 Fashion Week, so more will be debuting this upcoming spring.
