2025 Cultural Hits and Misses

Our final Boston Matrix of the year!

Welcome to our final Boston Matrix of the year. We were tempted to do a Boston Matrix mapping all of our Boston Matrixes but thought that might be a bit too gaze-y!! But we couldn’t end 2025 without pulling together the ultimate cultural matrix; mapping everything from the Labubu craze and the West End Girl shocker, to the frankly dystopian Katy Perry space trip, the fever dream of And Just Like That, Flag-Gate, Alan Carr winning Celebrity Traitors and much, much more.

And because this isn’t just about us, we didn’t rely on instinct alone. We spoke to cultural experts across media, fashion and youth culture to pressure-test the matrix and share the moments they couldn’t stop thinking about this year.

Thanks for joining us on our Substack journey this year! Can’t wait for more in 2026!

Lucinda and Nina x

Roya Zeitoune, Head of Culture and Trends at YouTube

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

I have recency bias, but when Lily Allen’s bombshell of an album dropped with no notice obviously people came online to react. We saw all the usual things happen: reviews of the songs, vocal coaches critiquing, psychologists discussing, but a whole other side happened too, where millions of people immediately flocked to their Architectural Digest video from a couple of years ago to try to unpick the signs of discontent. This kind of internet sleuthing shows the way that YouTube is used as an archive where you can find pretty much everything on film, but it also allowed for the community side of YouTube to come into its own, with people discussing all the aspects to the situation in the comments. The halo content and the discussions were largely respectful, it felt like a feminist wave of support, going through the moment collectively. While I don’t generally enjoy prying into people’s lives, this was all out there already and the album was almost an invitation for the audience to join in the conversation. Culture is so incredibly participative now, rather than passive, and this moment shows that the interactivity of fans with moments can come in every situation imaginable.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

This is a bit out there, but I think we’re going to see religion take an increasing role in culture. We’re already seeing it in music, with the growing popularity of so-called Christian music, for example Forrest Frank had one of the biggest songs of the year in 2025 already. We’re seeing AI being used for religious content a lot, AI Jesus is a global phenomenon. There’s been quite a bit of research that suggests in many parts of the world the younger generation is more religious than their parents, now that they are the main creators of culture I think we’ll witness it becoming more mainstreamed, so to speak. People might not talk about it too much, as it’s sensitive, but you’ll start to see signs of it more and more.

Ruby Ktori , VP, Content & Viral Marketing at Warner Records & Parlophone

Favourite cultural moment of the year

I love a conspiracy theory so for me it’s got to be people thinking that Liverpudlian rapper EsDeeKid is actually Timothée Chalamet with a bally on.

One thing we’ll all be talking about

Maybe how aura-less slash semi-skimmed-milk-coded Taylor Swift’s wedding is about to be? I also think AI slop is gonna get kinda good and we’re going to see a lot less resistance to the use of AI and deepfakes in our creative diets as more people learn to prompt in a way that isn’t mid.

Thom Bettridge, Editor-in-Chief, i-D

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

Zohran winning the mayoral election in New York City. The euphoria it engendered in people who had almost given up on social justice was almost as delicious as the rage it caused the swamp creatures who hated him. Whereas Trump’s rise grew from the most cynical and dark aspects of a highly online society, Zohran emerged from the good side of our hyperconnected world — from him eating chop cheese the Ocky Way to everyone’s obsession over New York’s first Bushwick Zillennial first lady.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

Not to be political about both answers, but I feel like 2026 is going to be a tipping point in which social reality starts spilling into terrain it’s not supposed to spill into. The people who make culture — young, broke people — are being squeezed to a point where they can’t be silent about it anymore. What does luxury advertising look like when 90% of the people working at the agency are on the verge of being too strapped to live semi-comfortably in a world capital?

Patrick Kho, Reporting on Asian Subcultures | Author of THE CHOW

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

When this photo of a woman praying the rosary in St. Peter’s Square for late Pope Francis went viral on Twitter:

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

Hyperpop. The genre already went mainstream in 2024, but I genuinely think artists like 2hollis, Frost Children, and Ninajirachi are creating the defining sound of the 2020s. Their songs often feature massive changes mid-track—like BPM rapidly increasing—that feel very zeitgeisty, almost like they’re capturing life in a polycrisis. Their discographies also reflect our hyper-online age in a way that feels more artful and craft-driven than the standard deep-fried music used in TikTok edits.

Auste Skrupskyte Cullbrand, Studio Playground

1. The one that has stayed in my mind most vividly is Lorde’s come-back and appearance during Charli XCX’s Coachella performance (still get shivers while rewatching). Charli passing the “baton” and moving from brat summer into allowing other artists the stage (YES TO COMMUNITY & COLLABORATION) felt not only like a perfect brand-and-artist match, but also a great moment for pop culture – a small sign that pop is back. Followed by Coldplay’s viral cam videos and now Robyn returning to the stage, all the music happenings this year gave me hope that a mainstream pop music magazine – like the ones we read in our teenage days, with posters and all – could find its role again.

2. Entertainment offline – this is always hard to predict, but the more digital work becomes and the more tools progress, the more craft and in-person meetings will find their way back. I am super excited about both organising and attending these – from big festivals probably hitting record visitor numbers in 2026 to niche gatherings – and I have an optimistic feeling we are in for more fun and play offline.

I want to believe that the two have something in common; the best moments of last year bring the energy into the next one.

Carmen Vicente, Senior Social Media Manager, Georgias

1. Does the deep-sea anglerfish seeking light count as a cultural moment ? I’ll admit something about this fish as a parable for finding meaning in bleak times...got me. Obviously it’s sort of ridiculous on some level, and yet hope/optimism/yearning is inherently vulnerable. You have to get cozy with them if you want to persevere through the uncertainty of it all *motions at the big screen and the little screen*.

2. In 2026 I think we’ll be participating in more analog activities, and that word will be everywhere. Digital fatigue has already hit a fever pitch, brainrot is omnipresent, ragebait is behind every corner, and everyone wants a break from the internet. Will we log off? Probably not entirely, but I can foresee more of us documenting our offline pursuits, online.

Ione Gamble, Founding Editor-in-Chief of Polyester Zine

What was your favourite cultural moment of the year? Gabby Windey’s rise!!!!! Feel so lucky to be able to have put her on the Polyester cover and can’t wait to watch her take over the world. I feel like this year was quite a bits and pieces year with so many fab and not so fab moments but Gabby becoming massive is so deserved and fun to watch.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026? Death of substack!! Trust me it’s coming.

Gina Tonic, Senior Editor at Polyester Zine

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

The Mayhem ball was a big one for me! This has really felt like Lady Gaga’s year in a lot of ways and seeing her return to form and get such a positive reaction from fans has been so heartwarming in a year that had a lot of negative cultural moments.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

If I’m being bad-minded, I think thinness will be another huge focus for our year. But in my heart of hope, I think there’ll be a sharp left turn into a growing sense of social justice being popular again. Either way, I hope the conversations we are having are productive and handled sensitively.

Victoria Buchanan, Researcher and Strategist, co-founder of NON-SWEAT

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

Chloe Kelly scoring the winning penalty at the Women’s Euros and celebrating with a cocky shrug to the crowd. Not the “inspirational role model” version of women’s sport; the arrogant, unfiltered, impossible-to-ignore champion version.

What made it significant wasn’t just the sporting moment (though twirling your shirt in 2022 and then casually mouthing expletives on camera in 2025 is quite the arc). It was the cultural permission it represented. The Lionesses have moved beyond needing to be palatable, beyond performing gratitude for being taken seriously. They’re just... elite athletes who know they’re elite athletes.

It’s the shift Nike’s “So Win” Super Bowl ad tapped into perfectly with Sha’Carri Richardson, Caitlin Clark, and A’ja Wilson; trusting that women’s sport can carry the competitive intensity, the swagger, the “something to prove” energy without softening it. Female athletes aren’t the future, they’re the main event right now. And they know it. For me they are the moment.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

Mastery as the new status symbol.

I think we’re moving into a post-optimization space. We’ve tried life-hacking our way to marginal gains and what’s it given us? Instead I think people will want actual, patient, obsessive mastery of something that can’t be compressed into an algorithm or a 12-week program.

We’re already seeing it in how sport brands are repositioning. On’s campaign featuring stone-skipping world record holder Kurt Steiner; not running faster, just getting beautifully, deeply good at one specific thing. There’s also Literary Sport calling themselves “sportswear for intellectuals,” and positioning running as a high-fidelity experience where repetition is a form of change.

It’s the recognition that what makes movement meaningful isn’t the data you generate, but the immersive practice itself. I think in 2026 we’ll see this shift from niche positioning to mainstream need as people stop asking “how do I optimize this?” and start asking “how do I get lost in this?”

Mastery isn’t a faster route to results. It’s the whole point.

Matt Klein, Head of Foresight at Reddit, Founder of Zine

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

Absurdist humor reached maturation. Nathan Fielder. Tim Robinson. Connor O’Malley. Eric Andre. Offering levity and acting as a counter to overly politicized standup culture, the surreal unwell man has finally been embraced… or at least tolerated.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

Age-check verification laws. The free internet as we’ve known it was temporary. We took it for granted. Online expression will be choked when the “harmful material” label is weaponized to uphold specific ideologies. No one will care until it finally impedes their daily experiences. In a year from now, we’ll look back surprised we weren’t talking about this sooner.

Michelle Blaser, Brand Marketing at Duolingo

1. What was your favourite cultural moment of the year? The Houston Rodeo is my favorite cultural moment because it is a massive white space opportunity for brands. It is becoming an epicenter for culture, fashion, food, and music and has a rich diversity of cultures, bringing together cowboys, farmers, rappers, and high society. It happens every March and brings in massive crowds (2.7M attended this year). It is part rodeo, part concert (Beyonce, Cardi B, and Post Malone have headlined), part fair, and part philanthropy. As people seek more IRL experiences, this is an amazing opportunity for your brand to stand out that many non-cowboy brands haven’t discovered yet.

2. What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

Portfolio Careers: The job market continues to be a dumpster fire and layoffs are stacking up in unprecedented numbers. The smart marketers are the ones building a portfolio career with multiple revenue streams that diversifies their risk. This could look like building your personal brand on LinkedIn, writing a newsletter on Substack, or consulting for brands based on your expertise. Even if you have a full time job now it would be wise to start building a new path behind the scenes.

Seussian Brands: Every few years a cultural shift takes place around brand strategy. It used to be all about Purpose-Driven Brands, then Unhinged Brands, and now I’m predicting it will be about “Seussian” Brands. The further the pendulum swings towards AI, algorithms being in charge, and everyone questioning what is real, the brands who will stand out in the coming years will embrace imperfection, humanity, weirdness, and a splash of delightful nonsense, just like Dr. Seuss’s books. This is the new strategy for becoming a brand powerhouse. Perfect isn’t the bar anymore, it’s a red flag.

Edmond Lau, Cultural Strategist

1.) Cultural Moment. Okay for me, it was Materialists. Some people really hated it and I can see the polarisation but I really enjoyed the discussions of dating it brought up and the dynamics of materialism and class in dating.

2.) What I’m predicting next year. Friction!! People are sick of being optimised to within an inch of their lives. Not all friction is bad.

Lyubov Sachkova, Creative Strategist at FEELD

What was your favourite cultural moment of the year?

One of my favourite things this year was the quiet return of a few pop stars who had been out of the public eye. Kesha, Lorde, Yung Lean, and Rosalía all came back in their own way, with a big bang, a soft relaunch, a quiet reemergence, but each felt like it came with a personal message.

I’ve been especially obsessed with Yung Lean’s NYT interview; he shares a lot of wisdom around being your authentic self, which I found subtly quite profound. And Rosalía’s new album made me cry the whole way through. She’s the kind of artist who pours so much of herself into her work that you can’t help but feel with her.

To build on that - there is something quietly radical about how she made it too; without loops. Everything was played live, which apparently is at odds with most music production practices. She is choosing a more difficult path to produce and it begs the question, why?

That choice really stayed with me. In a time of frictionless tech and AI-everything, Rosalía created a work that values effort over efficiency, depth over optimisation. And with that she asks something of us in return, not just passive consumption but real presence and attention, effort.

That approach feels like a signal I’ve been noticing in other places as well. A kind of rejection of overly smooth experiences. A craving for positive friction as a vehicle for meaning.

What’s one thing you think we’ll all be talking about in 2026?

By 2026, I think we’ll be much deeper into this collective fatigue with perfection and ease. People are already seeking out things that feel less efficient but more emotionally legible. I hope that shows up more prominently in culture.

Right now, it still feels like we’re in an in-between stage, where things are technically optimized but not quite making sense.