POP RECAP – APRIL 2025

Welcome to Pop Recap — your monthly scroll-through of what mattered in pop culture and why.

If you’ve been here before, you’ll notice things look a little different. After nearly a year of weekly recaps, Pop Recap is now a once-a-month drop — curated, commentary-driven, and part of a bigger vision for Fan Fave Media.

From major headlines to moments you might’ve missed, here’s what had people talking.

We are so back! Let’s recap the month.

COACHELLA 2025 - Coachella just wrapped two weekends of pop spectacle, iconic collaborations and electric performances. From Benson Boone bringing out Queen’s Brian May for a cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody” (then swapping him with a cardboard cutout during weekend two after the crowd didn’t give enough energy the first time) to Ed Sheeran packing out a tent way too small for him in a last minute set, the festival didn't disappoint. In one of the most unserious moments of the weekend, Charli XCX started a little friendly beef with Green Day after wearing a sash that said “Miss Should Be Headliner,” to which Green Day responded by wearing a toilet paper sash that said “Actual Headliner,” and Billie Joe Armstrong wearing a Brat hat onstage. Some of my favorite sets came from T-Pain, The Beaches, Clairo, and of course, Lady Gaga, whose theatrical set only made me more excited to see what she does when the Mayhem Ball kicks off later this year.

SNL GOES ACROSS THE POND - After 50 years, a UK version of Saturday Night Live is officially in development and will premiere in 2026 on Sky Max and NOW. The show will follow the same fast-paced, live format as the American version, featuring a core cast of British comedians, celebrity hosts, and musical guests. It will broadcast live from London and Lorne Michaels will executive produce the show, as he also continues oversee the U.S. version. No cast or host announcements have been made yet, but the show promises to bring a uniquely British twist to the long-running sketch comedy legacy. British comedy is notably very different from American comedy (see: The Office UK vs The Office US, for example), so I’m curious to see how the tone and structure land with UK audiences, and how people react once the clips start hitting the internet. I’m also curious if this will impact who hosts or performs on each version of the show. Can someone perform or host in both countries in the same season? Can you become a five-timer if you’ve hosted three times in America and twice in the UK? Will the UK version be as political? So many questions, but I guess we will know very soon.

BEATLES BIOPIC FINDS ITS PAUL, RINGO, GEORGE AND JOHN - ​Director Sam Mendes has revealed the cast for his ambitious four-part Beatles biopic series, The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, set to premiere in April 2028. Mendes describes the project as a “bingeable theatrical experience,” with four interlinked but distinct films capturing the Beatles’ rise and legacy from multiple angles. The cast includes Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. Reactions online have been mixed. To me, it honestly feels like they pulled the biggest Hollywood it-boys of the moment, which is smart. The older generations will watch a Beatles film regardless, and now my generation will definitely watch it because their favorite Irishman is there. I’m interested in seeing how it all plays out, and still wondering how it will provide a definite ranking of the most popular Beatles members based on box office numbers.

LESLIE ODOM JR. RETURNS TO HAMILTON - Leslie Odom Jr. is stepping back into the room where it happens. To celebrate Hamilton’s 10th anniversary, he’ll reprise his Tony-winning role as Aaron Burr from September 9 through November 23.
It’s his first return since leaving the show in 2016 and ticket prices are already insane. This is one of those Broadway moments I don’t want to miss.

LORDE'S NYC TAKEOVER + NEW SINGLE - Lorde is officially back! After joining Charli xcx at Coachella for a surprise performance of their “Girl, So Confusing” remix, she headed to New York City to shutdown Washington Square Park. Lorde sent out mass text messages to fans in the area and posted a cryptic Instagram story telling everyone to meet her at the fountain, and thousands of people showed up. Although the NYPD initially shut it down due to lack of permits, Lorde returned later that night to perform her new song “What Was That” atop a crate in the park's fountain, and the moment is documented in the new music video. The new single, which I have totally streamed a normal amount of times, feels like a toss back to the Melodrama era, so I cannot wait to see what’s next.

DISNEY CHANNEL MOUNT RUSHMORE - Complex shared its version of a Disney Channel Mount Rushmore, and the internet went up in flames. Their version named Raven-Symone, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Zendaya as the actresses that left the biggest legacy on the children’s television network. Many people argued that Hilary Duff and Ashley Tisdale should replace Zendaya based on the popularity of their work on the channel. Hilary Duff definitely was a huge face in the early days of Disney, and from High School Musical and Suite Life to Phineas and Ferb, I definitely feel Tisdale was overlooked here if we’re looking at just their work on the channel. But I also think Demi Lovato is a big name who had great success both on the network and after departing. It’s interesting to look back at Disney Channel’s peak era, because they truly launched some huge stars and projects for a strong 15 or so years. There’s honestly so many people who could be considered Mount Rushmore worthy.

• Nominations for the 2025 American Music Awards are out now. Kendrick Lamar leads with 10 nominations.

• Lizzo will portray godmother of Rock & Roll, Rosetta Tharpe, in a film from Amazon MGM Studios.

• Nate Bargatze is set to host the Emmys this year.

• Netflix’s Heartstopper will end with a feature film, after three seasons.

• Carly Rae Jepsen and Lena Dunham are teaming up to produce a musical based on the 1999 rom-com, 10 Things I Hate About You.

• Twilight is going on tour, with one-of-a-kind live-to-film concert experience.

• CrazySexyCool, a jukebox musical based on the story of TLC is set to premiere at Arena Stage in Washington D.C. this year.

• Variety has launched a special Actors on Actors series, featuring many of the Hollywood stars currently on Broadway.

• The first ever live-action Scooby Doo series is in production at Netflix.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE TURNS 20 - April 2025 marks twenty years since Pride & Prejudice (2005) hit theaters. Director Joe Wright’s adaptation, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, redefined the classic Jane Austen story for a new generation.
To celebrate the anniversary, Focus Features rereleased the film in theaters nationwide.

POP GIRL TAKEOVER - Last April, both Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter released singles that would catapult them to undeniable levels of popularity and give us the ultimate pop girl summer. “Good Luck, Babe!” and “Espresso” topped the streaming charts, went TikTok viral, and earned nominations and wins at the Grammys. Whether you’re feeling like an It girl or spiraling over unrequited love, these songs still deserve a permanent spot in your playlist. Meanwhile, pop icons Taylor Swift and Beyoncé also had major projects recently turn one. Taylor Swift’s double album, The Tortured Poets Department, broke streaming records and topped the Billboard 200 chart for 17 weeks. With Cowboy Carter, Beyoncé pushed genre boundaries, exploring country sounds and earning her very first Grammy for Album of the Year. 2024 was really the year for pop girls!

• “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” - Role Model

• “4EVER” - Clairo

• “CUNTISSIMO” - Marina

• “Crush” - Double Standard

• “Unknown/Nth” - Hozier

Check out Pop Recap’s full On Repeat playlist on Spotify here.

The reimagined podcast, School of Pop, has officially premiered and the first two episodes are out now! This “semester” explores the ethics of fan culture. The first episode provides a look into what’s to come in the semester, while the second examines the current state of concert etiquette, featuring special guest Cameron Bristow and artist spotlight Double Standard. Check out the episodes below and click here to get your Class Notes, a digital review of what’s discussed. New episodes release Tuesdays.

Stay updated with everything happening at Fan Fave on social media right here. Follow School of Pop here.

In May, we’re getting a new album from Miley Cyrus! Plus Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts* and the live-acton Lilo and Stich movie both release in theaters. Of course, a new edition of this Pop Recap newsletter will also hit your inbox on May 25, the final Sunday of the month. By then, we will have so many more pop culture things to unpack. Let me know what you’re hoping May brings on social media. Personally, I wanna see more women go to space and an official collaboration between Noah Kahan and Ed Sheeran.

Catch you in the next recap! I’ll be watching everything so you don’t have to.