Penthouse130722juliaannjuliaannxxximag 2021

Shondaland’s first Netflix project debuted on Christmas Day 2020, but it owned the early months of 2021. It gave us Regencycore fashion, a string quartet cover of Billie Eilish’s "Bad Guy," and the steamy Duke of Hastings.

2021 saw a massive divide between established superstars and viral newcomers. Olivia Rodrigo penthouse130722juliaannjuliaannxxximag 2021

utilized sophisticated social media analysis to dominate global markets, though some content—like the graphic portrayal of suicide in 13 Reasons Why Kendrick Lamar began to percolate, but more broadly,

Perhaps the most unique phenomenon of 2021 was the explosion of meta-commentary and fandom as content. The year’s defining musical event was not a concert but a feud. The dueling diss tracks of Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar began to percolate, but more broadly, the release of Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version) turned the business of re-recording masters into a blockbuster media event. Fans dissected every "10-minute version" of "All Too Well," turning a break-up song into a cinematic short film directed by Sadie Sink. This trend reached its zenith with House of Gucci and Licorice Pizza , films that were discussed less for their cinematic merit and more for their meme-able performances (Lady Gaga’s accent, Alana Haim’s vibe). The lines collapsed: watching a movie review on YouTube (Nerdwriter, Patrick H. Willems) became as popular as watching the movie itself. Even the beleaguered awards show circuit tried to adapt, with the Oscars moving to a less formal structure, though ratings continued to plummet, suggesting that the monoculture had officially shattered. though ratings continued to plummet