It Was a Summer of Jet2Holidays, Matcha, Low-Stakes Drama, and Performative Men

Style

Mary Imaj bags

I’ve been wearing the emerald-colored large Indigo Mary Imaj Bag all summer and it’s basically a walking compliment magnet. The satin-like fabric somehow makes it feel luxe without being high-maintenance. The large version has been my secret weapon, as it’s a legit work bag that easily flips into a gym bag, and on weekends it doubles as my beach tote. Laptop, sneakers, SPF 50, extra outfit—it all fits without the bag looking like it’s begging for mercy. For the minimalists, there’s also a mini version that’s just as cute—perfect for errands, brunches, or those nights you only need your phone, keys, and lip gloss. —Precious Fondren

Jean ads 

Every red-blooded American (even Canadian-born ones) grew up with provocative jean ads: Brooke Shields for Calvin Klein, Mark Wahlberg in Calvins, a Versace campaign here, an Alexander Wang spot there. But in contemporary times, it took no less a mall staple than American Eagle to outrage the left and capture the hearts and minds of the right via a campaign that, by pointing out that “genes” isa homonym for “jeans,” put Sydney Sweeney in the center of a eugenics debate. Not to be outdone, the following week, Levi’s delivered a Beyoncé campaign that had corners of the internet debating the possibility of a new album. In all, the season was a watershed moment for denim-centric debate. —Lucas Wisenthal

Labubu 

I'd like to think I'm impervious to everything about Labubus: the merchandise, the conversations, the transactions. My seven-year-old daughter is indifferent to and maybe even afraid of the plush toys, which have insinuated themselves into our consciousness via our feeds, the ubiquity of bag charms, and news of drops and one record-breaking sale after another for the rarest of the stuffed lot. Kasing Lung’s creations felt inescapable all summer, whether for the lines they attracted, the prices they commanded, or the secondhand excitement of watching someone unbox a new one. But if the data is to be believed, the inevitable downturn in the high-risk, high-reward Labubu market is already upon us. —LW

Food/Drink

Cutwater cocktails

Cutwater might just be the unofficial drink of TikTok this summer. You couldn’t scroll without seeing someone crack one open, sip, and then dramatically pause like they were questioning all their life choices at once. The mystery was mostly about how fast these things sneak up on you, with the consensus being you can get exactly where you want to be very quickly.

And to add to its virality, there’s even a viral juke song by Glizzy Glow dedicated to Cutwater. If you’ve heard it once, it’s already stuck in your head (“My bitches shakin ass cus they drunk as hell off Cutwater"). Glow swears the lemon drop martini is the best flavor, and honestly, she’s not wrong, but personally, I’m a pineapple margarita truther. It tastes like vacation in a can. —PF

Dubai Chocolate

No flavor profile went harder this summer than Dubai Chocolate. From corner stores to fro-yo spots, it turned into the unofficial sweet treat of the summer. What started as a niche flavor became a staple, stamped by viral moments, reposts, and everyone trying to get their hands on it. It caused a pistachio shortage, and prices spiked, but Dubai chocolate remained in the spotlight as the go-to luxury flavor, giving people a new sweet status symbol to chase. —Stefan Breskin

Matcha

If the worldwide shortage and performative male competitions weren’t enough of a sign, the matcha craze reached new heights this summer, and it won’t be dying down anytime soon. While the finely ground Japanese green tea powder has long permeated the food scene—its vibrant green found in culinary creations ranging from cheesecake to pasta, burgers, and even pizza—its popularity soared over the hottest months. Iced matcha lattes were rampant in every buzzy neighborhood, their milky green an aesthetic complement to the hands that loosely grasped them. Sure, we can say we drink matcha as a coffee alternative or admit we like its earthy taste (yes, we exist), but it’s an ingredient that transcended trends. This summer, matcha became an extension of identity. —Kim Pham

Music

Dijon’s BaBy 

It’s been four long years since Dijon’s debut Absolutely dropped, and fans (hi, me) were pacing anxiously, awaiting its follow up. We got tiny crumbs in the meantime—his fingerprints on Bon Iver’s latest album, a major role in crafting Justin Bieber’s Swag album (really), and even a feature there. All of it was clearly the warm-up lap. Because now we have Baby, and it’s nothing short of glorious.

Dedicated to his son, born in 2023, the album is so tender. There’s even a sweet flex on the track “Another Baby,” where Dijon casually announces he’s got another little one on the way. No one likes the songs “Fire” “Yamaha,” and “Higher” more than me.

The production credits don’t hurt either: Mk.gee, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, and a roster of indie heavyweights lend their magic, but make no mistake, this is Dijon’s moment. I already know I won’t shut up about Baby for months, and the thought of experiencing these songs live on his upcoming fall/winter tour has me ready to levitate. —PF

PinkPantheress' Fancy That

One of the most surprising summer staples came from none other than PinkPantheress, who casually dropped her Fancy That mixtape. The project gave us “Illegal,” which spun off into its own viral TikTok handshake trend that I still don’t all the way understand, but as usual with Pink, the hype runs deeper than a meme.

Fancy That plays like a love letter to British music, weaving together sharp samples, sweet-but-sly melodies, and lyrics that could double as inside jokes whispered at a house party. The music is mostly playful, but there’s a sophistication to how she builds worlds in just a few minutes. Pink has always been best when she’s blending nostalgia with futurism, and this tape feels like the perfect bridge. Earlier this year, Pink called out how people don’t want to hear electronic music from Black women, and know what? They’re missing out. —PF

Clips of Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rico residency 

OK, I didn’t exactly make it to Bad Bunny’s No Me Quiero Ir de Aquí residency in San Juan, but the clips alone gave me enough FOMO to last a lifetime. Benito basically turned his native island into the center of the universe this summer, and everyone seemed to pull up. Jon Hamm, Tokischa, Ricky Martin, and even LeBron James were spotted shaking it out to every Benito hit. 

What really set this residency apart, though, was the way Bunny made it about his people first. The first nine shows were reserved exclusively for Puerto Rico residents, who had to show proof of residency at local agricultural markets just to snag tickets. And while I wish I’d been there in person, even the shaky iPhone videos made me feel like I was sweating in the crowd. —PF

The summer without a song of the summer

Oddly enough, I loved not committing to a single Song of the Summer. This year, it felt like every publication had a meltdown about the supposed absence of one. Are we doomed without a unifying anthem? some asked. Has TikTok killed the Song of the Summer forever? Meanwhile, brand-new releases were crowned SOTS before they even made it past “song of the week.”

But here’s the thing: Not having one definitive track kind of ruled. Instead of everyone being forced to scream the same chorus at every function, we each got to curate our own vibe. For some it was Justin Bieber’s “Daises.” For others, it was Pluto and YKNiece’s “WHIM WHAMIEE.” Me personally, it was Amaarae’s “S.M.O."

This was the summer of declaring your favorite song as the Song of the Summer, which feels more 2025 than any collective anthem could. Being niche is back. Personal taste is the new monoculture. Like what you like, blast it on the aux, and keep it moving. —PF

Internet Brain Rot

Justin Bieber: It’s not clocking to you

This summer had plenty of funny moments, but none were funnier  than Justin Bieber yelling at paparazzi, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business.” He wasn’t onstage, wasn’t in an interview. He was literally “at the beach!” as he shouted in the since-viral clip.

People remixed the line into songs, tried to see who could impersonate Bieber’s exasperated tone most accurately, and, naturally, dragged him for mangling AAVE in real time. Someone even AI-generated Timothée Chalamet saying it, because why not? Justin himself tucked a reference to the line on his Swag album. This Justin meme is still my profile picture on Slack, and might even be my Halloweens costume. Consider yourself warned. —PF

The Jet2Holiday TikTok sound and song

You couldn’t log onto any social with hearing a British woman announcing, “Nothing beats a Jet2Holiday” over Jess Glynne’s “Hold My Hand.” The TikTok sound was everywhere. You couldn’t scroll without seeing it stitched to some unhinged vacation footage: a lion breaking through glass at a safari park, a dog launching itself off a speeding lake boat, or someone getting escorted off a flight mid-tantrum.

What started as promo in 2024 turned into pure internet brain rot this summer. Someone even remixed it into a New Orleans bounce flip that’s honestly pretty solid. Who needs therapy when I can watch a video of someone get tossed off a horse to the cheeriest Jet2 jingle. —PF

The performative male era

If you noticed an influx of men clutching tote bags, listening to Clairo, and solemnly reading bell hooks in public this summer—no, you weren’t imagining it. Welcome to the era of the Performative Male.

On the surface, he looks like your average Brooklyn hipster who loves wired headphones, a perfectly rumpled button-down, and his matcha latte ritual. But the difference is intent. The performative man is never just vibing—he’s auditioning. Every curated detail, from “accidentally” leaving a Sally Rooney novel in frame on Instagram to quoting lyrics from a Beabadoobee song, is part of a larger thesis that says please perceive me as the sensitive intellectual boyfriend of your dreams.

Performative Male competitions popped up in cities across the U.S., pitting contestants against each other in tote-bag-heavy showdowns. And brands like Uniqlo shamelessly capitalized in their marketing. At its core, the trend says less about men and more about the endless theater of dating culture. The joke, of course, is that we never really know any man’s intentions. Tote bag or not. —PF

Love Island’s “Mamacita?” moment

Even if you didn’t watch a single second of Love Island USA Season 7, the internet made sure you saw the clip. Contestant Huda Mustafa dramatically tells Nic Vansteenberghe she’s a mom, and Nic, face scrunched in confusion, responds with, “Mamacita?” Reader, I howled. And I was far from alone.

It’s rare that reality TV gifts us a moment so pure, so memeable, that it transcends the show itself. But this? This was Shakespearean comedy. Nic proceeds to dig himself deeper, asking, “A mom of what? Like, a dog? Like, in real life?” The rhythm of the exchange is so awkwardly perfect it feels scripted, except it isn’t. As one commenter put it, “AI could never write this.” And, honestly, facts.

The clip lived many lives as a reaction meme, soundbite remix, and even celebrity endorsement. Megan Thee Stallion herself called it one of her favorite Love Island moments. For a season packed with nothing but drama (see below), it was this gloriously dumb misunderstanding that became its best moment. —PF

Movies

Lurker

If you’ve ever side-eyed at how deep fandom culture can spiral, Lurker is the movie that takes that anxiety and turns it into a full-blown psychological thriller. The film follows Matthew, an obsessive fan who manipulates his way into the life of his favorite rising pop star, Oliver, and what unfolds over nearly two hours is a ride that’s terrifying. 

The movie features the always hilarious Zack Fox and rising darling Havana Rose Liu. It hits a nerve with Gen Z audiences by holding up a mirror to stan culture and the blurred lines between admiration and obsession. It’s a story about what happens when the screen between celebrity and fan cracks, and the results aren’t pretty.

Without spoiling too much, the film’s ending packs a twist so sharp you’ll leave the theater questioning how you look at your own favorite artists. In a summer stacked with sequels and remakes, Lurker gave us something super fresh and needed. —PF

Weapons

Weapons was unsettling. Zach Cregger’s follow-up to Barbarian tells the story of 17 second-grade students who awaken at 2:17 a.m. and charge out of their homes, all running toward the same location. Only one of their classmates, Alex (Cary Christopher), shows up for school the next morning. All eyes are on teacher Justine (Julia Garner), but a series of signals—including a giant floating assault rifle that appears in a dream—point to something more sinister. The allegory here is obvious, which is why Weapons was so scary—and so effective. —LW

Together

I’m going to be the one to say it—this is the romance movie of the year, even if it was billed as horror. The plot is a little unhinged. Main characters Tim and Millie move to the countryside, fall down a well, sip some magic water, and suddenly start fusing… together (cue Leonardo DiCaprio pointing meme).

But what could’ve been pure nonsense turns into something oddly tender, thanks to Alison Brie and Dave Franco’s real-life married-couple chemistry. Yes, it’s a cheeky metaphor for co-dependency, but the sharp horror/maybe unintended comedy is way more fun than therapy. There’s a lawsuit claiming they stole the concept, but frankly, that has nothing to do with us, so when this hits streaming, we’ll be watching it again. —PF

TV

Overcompensating

This summer, Benito Skinner (aka Benny Drama) officially graduated from TikTok skits to the small screen with his debut series Overcompensating. The show is a fictionalized take on Skinner’s own college years, about a closeted freshman desperately trying to maintain the illusion of being straight. The result is eight episodes of sharp writing, banger needle drops, comedy, and an unexpected tenderness. The only problem is it ends on a cliffhanger so bold it should be illegal. Until we get Season 2, we’ll be rewatching it as our comfort show. —PF

Love Island USA

Toxic. Toxic. Toxic. And no, not the Britney Spears classic. Love Island USA Season 7 was the television equivalent of junk food you know will wreck your stomach but somehow can’t stop eating.

On one hand, it had its funny, meme-worthy moments (see above). On the other, it dove into dark, messy territory that made you question why you ever hit play in the first place. The friendships are curated at best. The romances are about as real as Bigfoot. And the fans might’ve been the most toxic element of it all. 

And yet… it was impossible to look away. From chaotic crash-outs to endlessly quotable moments (seriously, last month alone gave us enough one-liners for a year), Season 7 became the summer show, trash and all. Whether we were hate-watching or trying to put on our sociology glasses, we were all tuned in. —PF

Squid Game 

After four years, three seasons, and hundreds of deaths, Squid Game concluded with a major reveal: that the most streamed show in the history of Netflix would make the leap from South Korea to America. We learned as much by way of a cameo from Cate Blanchett, the apparent stateside salesperson, as she slapped the shit out of a down-on-his-luck guy on the streets of Los Angeles. 

To get there, we watched scores of men and women, along with an actual baby, put their lives on the line in a new, high-drama series of games, all in pursuit of the billions in that piggy bank. This season and the second were slower than the first, partly because of the drawn-out voting sequences. And while both were visually stunning, they lacked the punch of that original visit to the mysterious island. 

But the storylines we’d followed since 2021 did draw to a close that was, for the most part, pretty satisfying. And we witnessed moving moments of humanity and literal self-sacrifice.  

In all, it was a strong farewell to a show that will be back soon enough, possibly with dodgeball and mini-golf challenges. —LW

The Summer I Turned Pretty

What’s a list about summer TV without The Summer I Turned Pretty? As the series wraps up its final season, the show has only gotten bigger, cementing itself as the YA drama of the moment. Belly’s back-and-forth between brothers Jeremiah and Conrad has fueled one of the most heated love triangles since Twilight. Team Jacob vs. Team Edward walked so this could run.

The discourse is everywhere. Social media editors are creating content asking players where their allegiance lies. Rapper Gunna was even pressed on his stance (which, honestly, might be the funniest pop culture crossover of the year). Every corner of the internet is weighing in, and the takes are as outrageous as the plotlines themselves.

At its core, the show thrives on this chaos. The melodrama and the will-they-or-won’t-they tension are tailor-made for binge-watching. 

And Belly better lock in and make the right choice. (Conrad hive, stand up.) —PF