2024 wasn’t all “Wicked.”
The year draws to a close with the film dominating the box office and discourse after a marketing blitz that saw stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande grace not just premieres, but the Oscars, Met Gala and Olympics too.
It was far from the only spectacle of the year, which showcased the continued dominance of Taylor Swift, the ascendance of Chappell Roan and the Oscar triumphs of beloved stars like Robert Downey Jr. and Cillian Murphy.
Music was a throughline for the year, whether it was Lady Gaga’s “Joker 2” transformation,Dua Lipa’s “Radical Optimism” or all those “Wicked”-inspired sing-alongs.
Swift may not have defied gravity, but stretched time and space in one week with trips from the Grammys to performances in Japan and then Las Vegas, in time to cheer on and celebrate boyfriend Travis Kelce’s Super Bowl win.
Entertainment and politics collided through the summer and fall after Kamala Harris became the Democratic presidential nominee, culminating in the vice president joining comedian Maya Rudolph on “Saturday Night Live” in her campaign’s closing days.
Rudolph playing Harris on “SNL” wasn’t the year’s only throwback — Francis Ford Coppola and Jerry Seinfeld returned to red carpets with passion projects (one a modern Roman parable and the other about cereal), while Heidi Klum and her husband transformed into E.T. for her Halloween extravaganza.
With Swift’s tour winding down and the Oscars race lacking a “Barbenheimer” moment, what’s there to look forward to in 2025? Well, “Wicked Part Two,” for one.