In weather terminology, they call it “rapid intensification” — the process by which a storm strengthens dramatically in a short period. In pop culture terminology, they call it Taylor Swift. It’s not like Swift didn’t have it big – huge! – years before this. But 2023? This was ridiculous. From the blockbuster 'Eras' tour that conquered the United States before a planet-vanquishing international leg, to the re-release of more albums on the road to reclaiming her catalogue, to the record-smashing concert film, to becoming a billionaire — and yeah, that thing with “the guy on the Chiefs” — it all made for a year you could reasonably call '2023 (Taylor’s Version).' There were, of course, non-Swiftian developments in pop culture. Here’s our very selective (and this year, very Swift-centric) stroll down pop culture memory lane:
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JANUARY: If anyone needs a comeback, it’s the Golden Globes. The year begins with comic Jerrod Carmichael deftly navigating host duties, quipping, “I’m here because I’m Black” — a nod to the diversity scandal plaguing the awards. Breaking records: Shakira’s “BZRP Music Session #53,” in which she bitingly sings of her ex, former soccer star Gerard Piqué.
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FEBRUARY: At the Super Bowl, Rihanna floats above the 50-yard line in a bright red jumpsuit … and reveals a baby bump! It’s her first solo performance in seven years and her first since becoming a mother nine months earlier. At the Grammys, it’s a decidedly mixed bag for Beyonce, who breaks the record for career wins, but is shut out in the top categories. Harry Styles bests her for album of the year, stoking controversy with his acceptance speech.
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MARCH: It’s Oscar time! And nobody gets slapped ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ lives up to its title, sweeping nearly every major category. This feel-good night proves a huge moment for Asians and Asian Americans in Hollywood. “My journey started on a boat. I spent a year in a refugee camp,” says an emotional Ke Huy Quan, winning best supporting actor. And the “Eras” era begins: Swift opens her tour in Arizona.
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APRIL: Back to Swift watch: Neither confirms it, but reports say she and longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn have split.
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MAY: This is the year Jared Leto dons a giant cat suit. And leave it to Hollywood’s writers, now striking, to have the cleverest signs: “HBO Max Pays HBO Minimum.”. They will remain on strike for nearly 150 days, joined by the actors in July.
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JUNE: We’ll keep this one brief: Heard of the Grimace Shake at McDonald’s? It’s all the rage on TikTok. A new group of luminaries is invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, among them David Byrne, Austin Butler, Keke Palmer — and yes, SWIFT. Pictured above are Butler, Palmer, Quan and Swift.
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JULY: Take one famous doll with a complicated history. Add a talent like Greta Gerwig, get Margot Robbie to star, bring in Ryan Gosling to chew the scenery, and you have ‘Barbie,’ the biggest movie of 2023 and a milestone for female directors. Now stir in Christopher Nolan’s superb ‘Oppenheimer,’ and the rest is box office history. Also history: Swift now has more No. 1 albums than any woman, eclipsing Barbra Streisand. From eclipse to earthquake: Scientists report they’ve detected seismic signals roughly akin to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake under Swift’s Seattle show.
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AUGUST: Kim Cattrall makes a very quick return to the ‘Sex and the City’ reboot.
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SEPTEMBER: Now that summer is over, let’s inspect the damage — by which we mean all the recent celebrity splits: Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, Sofia Vergara and Joe EManganiello, among others. But hey, someone’s looking for love: jersey sales rapidly intensify this month for one Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, by some 400%. So weird, any idea why? Something to do with Swift attending a Chiefs game?
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OCTOBER: It’s a good month to be 80! Martin Scorsese becomes a TikTok star via daughter Francesca’s silly videos and presents one of his most ambitious films yet, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.” Also 80, Mick Jagger joins slightly younger Rolling Stones bandmates Keith Richards (79) and Ronnie Wood (76) in producing the crackling new album, ‘Hackney Diamonds.’ In a much-awaited memoir, Britney Spears details her heartbreaks and her struggles. Swift reaches billionaire status — and throws a Hollywood premiere for her ‘Eras’ movie, which will become the most successful concert film of all time.
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NOVEMBER: Hollywood’s writers and actors are thankfully back to where they once belonged. Which brings us to the Beatles: No, they aren’t getting back together. But six decades after Beatlemania ruled, a new and final tune, ‘Now And Then,’ is released, thanks to artificial intelligence. Cast members of “Friends” gather to mourn co-star Matthew Perry at his funeral.
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DECEMBER: Spotify announces 2023’s most-streamed artiste — it’s Swift, dethroning Bad Bunny. Beyonce conquers the box office on opening weekend with her ‘Renaissance’ film. Is it a foregone conclusion, finally, that Swift would close out her year staring at us from magazine covers as Time’s person of the year.
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