The movies, TV shows and music we were obsessed with
By Christa Bashinski and Catharine Runion · Entertainment Editor, Community Editor
Every summer features its own obsession. Whether that be a TV show, a new movie, fresh music or favorite trends, there’s always something for everyone, and 2025 was no different. We’re here to cover some of the highlights you don’t want to miss.
Weekly Wednesday releases of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” (TSITP) have paused the routines of millions as viewers crowd their couches to tune in to Belly’s restless romance. With an audience of over 25 million, TSITP has quickly become the fifth most watched returning show in Amazon Prime’s history.
The show focuses on Belly as she is tugged between her first love, Conrad, and her current love, Jeremiah, complicated by the fact that they’re brothers. Whether it be due to the heartfelt storyline, the stacked soundtrack or just Conrad’s quiet charm, we know that viewers can’t get enough.
As the Sept. 17 finale approaches, the fanbase pours over possible outcomes, with many returning to creator Jenny Han’s original book for hints. As the show’s popularity continues to soar, it has become the hot topic of the summer. So, which side are you on: team Jeremiah or team Conrad?
“Love Island” Season 7 took the summer by storm as it collected 18.4 billion minutes’ worth of viewers’ attention. The reality TV show is staged in Fiji, where singles couple up and explore possible connections, dramatically culminating with a season winner.
Released on June 3, the season quickly dominated social media with viral audio clips taking over the apps. The five-day-a-week release kept its audience engaged, while the interactive voting allowed fans’ opinions to directly influence the outcome.
Supporters fought for their favorites, while their least-loved contestants were sent packing, with popularity often determining the difference between millions of followers and social suicide. Though the season has ended, fans can now enjoy the reunion, which began streaming on Aug. 25.
“Superman” sparked massive excitement, making $125 million in its first weekend.
continued from 7
Now, it closes out the summer having surpassed expectations, approaching $600 million in worldwide box office revenue.
The film follows Clark Kent as he juggles his superhero persona with his everyday identity, offering a sense of hope in a tense atmosphere. Since hitting the theaters on July 11, the film has faced some political backlash, particularly amongst conservative audiences accusing it of promoting far-left ideals due to the focus on his immigrant heritage. The pushback has likely only fueled its high attendance, proving that all publicity is good publicity.
To see more about some albums that took the summer by storm, turn your eyes to “Tunes from the Tower.”
There was a lot of discourse this year, as every year, about what would be the “song of the summer.” A few fans tried to push Addison Rae’s hit single “Diet Pepsi,” and it ended up playing in the background of many viral TikToks and Reels.
Benson Boone may have hoped to brand his song “Mystical Magical” as the song of the summer, but he ended up becoming a meme instead. Thousands of videos poked fun at the song, repeating “moonbeam ice cream” in silly voices. Boone has handled the jokes well, but the song might never recover.
Some other contenders included a dance trend to “Shake It to the Max (FLY) – Remix” and, unsurprisingly, another hit by Sabrina Carpenter. “Manchild” spawned countless dances, memes and trends, so you couldn’t scroll very far without hearing it.
While this isn’t a contender for song of the summer, we do have to give an honorable mention to the scandal of the summer. In case you missed it, a jumbotron at a Coldplay concert in Boston exposed an affair taking place within a well-reputed company. The whole thing blew up: the CEO accused Chris Martin of exposing a “private moment.” Gwyneth Paltrow got involved, and to put it bluntly, it was a mess.
What was a PR disaster for the Astronomer company turned into an uptick in popularity for Coldplay, whose streams have gone up by 25 percent since that fateful night.
Whatever media you did (or didn’t) consume this summer, we hope you had a great vacation, and we are looking forward to seeing what the song of the fall semester will be.
