Between the release of Wicked in theaters, the end of The Eras Tour, and the record-breaking animated series, Arcane, wrapping up its last season on Netflix, the entertainment industry truly fed us in 2024.
With 2025 now in full swing and rumblings of new projects on the horizon this year, it is only natural to think, "What can we expect next?" If 2025 follows in the footsteps of 2024, it's set to be a big year for the entertainment industry yet again. With that said, these are my predictions for 2025.
1. Cynthia Erivo will enter her pop star era
Cynthia Erivo made her name in mainstream media last year after starring in the role of Elphaba in Wicked alongside known pop star, Ariana Grande. In an exclusive interview with Variety, Ervio revealed in 2025 she will be releasing her first debut solo album just before Wicked: For Good releases in theaters toward the end of this year. If the buzz around the movie was anything like it was in 2024, this singer and actress is set to have plenty of eyes on her this year too.
According to Billboard, Wicked became so popular last year that it has broken the record for being the 'top-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical' bringing in $681.3M at the box office at the time of this writing. Given that Erivo is the star of the film, it's likely that her name will stay in the press from the release of part one to part two and her album will be a success like the movie from the positive attention she's garnered around her talent. This would be a much-deserved accolade for the Emmy & Grammy winner and could potentially be the start of a new career path for her if this came to fruition.
Netflix's Welcome to Noxus will be bigger than Arcane
Netlflix's Arcane, based out of Riot Game's League of Legends universe, was a record breaking animated series for the company last year with it's last season being released toward the end of 2024. League of Legends just released a trailer for it's new show, Welcome to Noxus, on YouTube and given the audience's positive response, it's obvious this show is set to be the next big hit show in 2025.
At the time of this writing, the trailer for Welcome to Noxus has almost 20M views and is still climbing with the video only being released to the public just days into 2025. The demand for the show comes off of the excitement from Arcane that ended with many questions to be answered, stories to be explored with other characters, and unmatched critical acclaim from any other adult animation series.
According to Variety, some of Arcane's accolades include winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in 2022 and being ranked as Netflix's number 1 TV show in 85 countries by the end of the second and last season. Although Arcane was not successful in the sense of profitability, it has set the bar for how good an animated series can be and has clearly been successful in building an audience, which is proven by the high interest in Welcome to Noxus. If Welcome to Noxus proves to be more profitable than Arcane, it may open the door for other companies to continue making TV series' based off of video games like The Last of Us.
3. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will break up
Power couples in Hollywood like Tom Holland and Zendaya may reportedly be getting engaged, but other couples may be headed for a split like Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. Some fans on the internet have stated they think the couple will become engaged by the end of the year while others have accused them of being in a PR relationship.
The public has fallen in love with Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce after seeing them support each other publicly. Travis made a surprise appearance on stage at The Eras Tour while Taylor Swift has made several appearances at Chief's games. There has been speculation online since the couple started dating that Taylor Swift's attendance has helped to boost the NFL's ratings this past season. Although the correlation can't be proven, the NFL has reported a 7% increase.
With The Eras Tour having ended last month and this year's NFL season end being just around the corner, it will be interesting to see if these two stand the test of time or if headlines take a turn for the worst in the coming months surrounding this couple's relationship. Regardless, you get that bag, Taylor.
4. Bruno Mars will have his moment in mainstream pop culture again with his next album release
The pop girlies have been dominating the charts over the last couple of years, but it's time for the pop men to make a comeback and it's obvious Bruno Mars is going to be the one to do it after seeing the popularity of his most recent singles.
It's clear Bruno Mars is gearing up for an album release with two of his single collaborations being released toward the end of last year. Currently these two singles, "Die with a Smile" with Lady Gaga and "APT" with Blackpink's Rosé, sit at the number 1 and 2 spots on his Spotify page with over 2B streams combined. Additionally, "Die with a Smile" has just entered the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 after 20 weeks on the chart and has been nominated for more than one category to receive a Grammy at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony.
Bruno Mars is a true class act, and with those kinds of accomplishments, he will surely be popping back into our timelines once again in the near future. No complaints here.
5. Sabrina Carpenter will win her first Grammy
After years of not being recognized in the media, Sabrina Carpenter is finally getting her flowers in mainstream pop culture with the widespread success of her album and accompanying tour, Short n' Sweet.
Per the Recording Academy, Sabrina has racked up nominations in 6 different categories to win a Grammy this year and is sure to win at least one of them. The "Espresso" singer has upward of 88M monthly listeners on Spotify, charted every single song off of Short n' Sweet on the Billboard Hot 100 last year, and appeared to be the most played artist over the summer with the inescapable lyrics of "Espresso" everywhere you went.
With a multitude of moments going viral on the internet from her "Juno" tour positions to her making out with an alien at the VMA's in 2024, Sabrina has given us all something to talk about. She has proven to be an accomplished, talented artist that is here to stay and who is deserving of a Grammy. Let's hope this is her year!
2024 was one for the books, but 2025 is set to be an exciting year too. The Short n' Sweet tour is continuing into this year, Wicked: For Good will be coming to theaters this November and there is a summer that awaits more music, movies, TV, and celebrity news. (I'm looking at you, Stranger Things). What do you think the future holds for fans next year in entertainment?