*buzzing IN POP-CULTURE WEEK 1
What happened in pop-culture this week: The Beyoncé Bowl took Netflix by storm, the Sweat Tour hit VR, RiRi rang in 2025 with Kia, and Louis Vuitton x Murakami’s campaign starred Zendaya.
Happy 2025! 🎉 I hope you had an amazing holiday season surrounded by loved ones. I’m excited for everything this new year has in store – for us and for brands making waves in pop culture. So, let’s kick off WEEK 1!
*buzzing IN MUSIC: CHARLI XCX & TROYE SIVAN’S SWEAT TOUR ON META QUEST
Maybe I gifted a Meta Quest for Christmas just to finally catch Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s Sweat Tour across the USA in VR on December 28. The LA show can now be experienced on Meta with fans tuning in from anywhere in the world – part of a music partnership between Meta and iHeartMedia.
Users can watch the concert together in Music Valley, snag limited edition SWEAT Tour avatar t-shirts from a dedicated merch store, and feel closer to their favorite artists than ever before. Meta’s mission? Uniting music fans globally with their idols.
*buzzing COLLAB: SABRINA CARPENTER BRINGS HER ‘ESS’PRESSO’ TO DUNKIN’
Sabrina Carpenter’s massive anthem Espresso has already benefited plenty of brands, but with the new year, another name joins her roster of partnerships: Dunkin’. Last week, she dropped her own drink, the Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso, in collaboration with the coffee chain.
I love how food brands are taking notes from McDonald’s US, weaving pop culture not just into their campaigns but also into their products. And it’s not just slapping a celeb’s name on a drink—they’re cleverly tying it to a hit song instead! Sure, you could argue that Sabrina’s Dunkin’ espresso won’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s perfectly in tune with the target audience and just so much fun to watch.
*buzzing IN SPORTS: BEYONCÉ BOWL ON NETFLIX
The internet erupted when Beyoncé revealed she’d be performing at the NFL Christmas game in her hometown of Houston, as the Ravens faced off against the Texans. While her home team didn’t take the win, Beyoncé unquestionably owned Christmas with a halftime show so legendary, it put the Super Bowl to shame.
Surrounded by Black country singers, she delivered an unforgettable performance featuring tracks from Cowboy Carter with surprise guests Post Malone, Shaboozey, and even Blue Ivy making a triumphant return to the stage.
This wasn’t just a tribute to Texas’ Black community—it was a full-on fashion spectacle. Beyoncé stunned in Cavalli, while her dancers rocked custom Levi’s looks, from studded jeans to iconic Trucker jackets. The highlight? Post Malone rolled up in a denim truck designed by Levi’s to perform their hit collab, "Levii's Jeans." Truly a moment for the books!
Right after her performance, she posted a cryptic video on her Instagram teasing an announcement for January 14. What can we expect? I’m guessing it’s a Cowboy Carter tour! <3
*buzzing BRAND: RIHANNA CELEBRATES 2025 WITH KIA
Whether intentional or not, Rihanna gave Kia more attention and reach with a single post than the usual sponsor of the Times Square NYE party gets through ABC. On New Year’s Eve, she shared a video on Instagram counting down with the Kia Countdown – and then revealed she hadn’t had a single drink all year.
*buzzing IN FASHION: ZENDAYA IN LV X MURAKAMI CAMPAIGN
A few weeks ago, Louis Vuitton announced the return of their Murakami partnership, and now it’s finally here! The campaign for the new collab features none other than superstar Zendaya. The collection, now live on their website, includes bags and accessories in three stunning colorways: the iconic white with the colorful logo pattern, the same design in black, and the classic LV colorway enhanced with Murakami characters—which, honestly, I’m obsessed with!
*buzzing COLLAB: HUMAN MADE X CLARKS
There’s a new footwear collab on the horizon: British footwear icon Clarks has teamed up with Nigo’s brand, Human Made, to create two unique designs. First, there’s the classic Wallabee, reimagined as the “Wallabee Made,” and then the “Desert Made,” an engineer boot created exclusively for this partnership. Both styles maintain Clarks’ signature look, enhanced with the Human Made logo and tag.
This collaboration couldn’t come at a better time, given the shifts in the footwear industry—but for me, the standout is the illustrated video created to announce it.
