• Text by The Editors of V

Ahh, 2023. Throughout the highs and lows that occurred within the last 12 months, you can always count on pop culture to entertain the masses and keep us fed until the next viral moment transpires. From bombshell memoirs from the likes of Prince Harry to the Princess of Pop Britney Spears, the loss of music legends such as Tina Turner and Tony Bennett, to the musical tours of the decade from the likes of Beyonce, Taylor Swift, and Madonna, Hollywood’s historic actors and writers strike, and the world turning pink from the culture shattering release of Barbie by Greta Gerwig, it was a busy year to say the very least.

Without further ado, V rounded up just some of the biggest pop culture happenings that blessed our feeds in 2023.

Lady in Red herself Rihanna unveiled her halftime performance at the Super Bowl LVII (via Getty Images)
Jared Leto and Choupette became one at The Met Costume Institute’s exhibit gala for ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ (via Getty Images)
Everybody on mute! Beyonce’s “Renaissance World Tour” launches (via Getty Images)
Netflix’s release of Beef starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun (via Getty Images)
Three words: Elizabeth. Arden. Cream. The meme-ification of Prince Harry’s audio recording of Spare took over TikTok (via Getty Images)
The end of Blackpink? Say it ain’t so! (via Getty Images)
Fran Drescher’s “The Jig Is Up” speech as president of SAG-AFTRA. (via Getty Images)
Doja Cat enters her occult era.
Palais Galliera’s exhibit of 1997 FASHION BIG BANG
Megan Rapinoe retires from soccer (via Getty Images)
Barbenheimer’s summer blockbuster phenomenon (via Getty Images)
Coco Gauff’s US Open win (via Getty Images)
“I wish you well.” Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski crash trial and not guilty verdict (via Getty Images)
The theatrical release of Bottoms, directed by Emma Seligman and starring Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edibiri
Sarah Burton steps down from Alexander McQueen after 26 years (via Getty Images)
ED RUSCHA/NOW THEN opens at MoMA’s (via MoMA)
Publishing of Ponyboy by Eliot Duncan

This story appears in the pages of V145: now available for purchase!

Discover More