2024 was a fantastic year for pop culture, and now that we are in 2025, we can look back at 2024’s biggest hits with nostalgia goggles on. From music, to television, to RV productions, 2024 had important moments and movements in the Arts and Culture scene. To fully close the door, let’s reflect on some of the sensations of 2024.
Arts & Culture Favorites:
A summer phenomenon, Brat by Charli XCX skyrocketed to fame during the lead-up to summer and throughout summer. “360,” “Apple,” and “Guess,” featuring Billie Eilish, were fan favorites known for their hyperpop style, a sub-genre that is on the rise. Charli XCX also released Brat and it’s completely different but still brat, featuring various artists such as Lorde on “Girl, so confusing”, Ariana Grande on “Sympathy is a knife”, and Addison Rae on “Von Dutch (a.g. cook remix)”.
But Brat wasn’t just an album, it created an entire aesthetic. The “brattiness” from the album speaks on staying true to yourself and the need to express yourself, the neon green and all. The album’s message resonated with Rancocas Valley, as said by Terrance Clark, a senior at RV. “Brat was a blunt album that wasn’t sugarcoated and made me feel like I don’t need to hide. I felt like I could be myself,” Clark said.
Short n’ Sweet, the album by Sabrina Carpenter released in August, provided her audience with catchy tunes about love and relationship complications. Popular tunes included “Please, Please, Please” and “Espresso,” which was hailed as one of the songs of the summer. The album included influences from a variety of genres including country and R&B. Her Short n’ Sweet tour was a highly anticipated and sought-after event with its Broadway-like theatrics and intricate details. Sophomore Diya Saini spoke about her love for the album, resonating with the rest of Carpenter’s audience with the reactions to the album.
“The album Short n’ Sweet was a really great summer album. The songs were very catchy and I loved listening to each one of the songs,” Saini said. “I may not have related to the songs but, they were very impactful with all the deep meanings behind each song. The album was one of the best albums I listened to and each song on it was very catchy and made me want to sing along.”
The Drake and Kendrick Lamar feud was one of the most suspenseful arts and culture conflicts of the year. While the conflict can be traced back to before 2024, it exploded after Lamar’s feature on “Like That” on Metro Boomin and Future’s collab album WE DON’T TRUST YOU. Popular tracks that originated from the conflict between the two include “Push Ups” and “Family Matters” by Drake, “euphoria”, “meet the grahams”, and of course “Not Like Us” by Lamar. Both rappers accused each other of different allegations, integrating them intricately into their lyrics. The “winner” of the battle has been speculated by audiences, with hands pointing towards both sides, but one thing is clear: the battle will stand in history as one of the most notable arts and culture events ever.
Wicked, the movie exploring the origins of Glinda and Elphaba and based on the book and musical, went viral on social media and at the box office for both its star power and amazing vocals. Ariana Grande was featured as Glinda, and Cynthia Erivo’s riff went completely viral on social media with people “holding space” for defying gravity. According to Business Insider, the box office opening weekend shattered records, raking in 164 million, making it the biggest opening weekend of a film based on a Broadway adaptation globally.
Jeovana Williams, a junior at RV discussed her love for the adaption, even noting that it changed her perspective. “The movie was personal and truly changed how I viewed the live musical,” Williams said. “Seeing a friendship blossom from two opposite people from two different worlds was uplifting.”
RV Productions:
Earlier this year in April, Rancocas Valley put on a production of Little Shop of Horrors, which captivated audiences through its gifted cast and complex numbers. The cast included a variety of seniors (now alumni) such as JT Mozes as Seymour and Arianna Alvarez as Audrey and juniors (now seniors) such as Bradley Fowler Musnick and Paris Ford as the voice of Audrey II. The cast truly had done a thorough job and the full-scale plant (Audrey II) was a highlight of the pieces.
Gabriela Quevedo, who played Urchin in the school production, talked about her experience in the production and with cast members. “Little Shop of Horrors was definitely my favorite production with RV that I’ve done so far,” Quevedo said. “I had a lot of fun playing such a lively role and the whole cast was truly amazing. It was a very positive environment overall and I love how everyone was so encouraging and created such a fun space!”
Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea:
Taking inspiration from the Little Mermaid, the production of Sometimes the Rain, Sometimes the Sea details the experience of a rain cloud falling in love, though unrequited, with a human. With the Red and White casts, RV truly emulated the different aspects of each character, and underclassmen and upperclassmen truly nailed their roles. The Red cast included sophomore Emma Risell and senior Bradley Fowler as the leads, and the White cast included Saint Enahoro and Chloe Swanson as the leads.
Big River
Based on the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Big River made its debut at RV on November 21st and 22nd. The production was put on by RV’s very own musical theater ensemble class, which is a semester class that students have the opportunity to take part in during 4th block on B days. The play was put on in the old auditorium. Through its minimal set design, the characters in the play really shine with the hard work of individuals.
Thomas Fredericksen, who played Pap Finn in Big River, expresses his experience with the cast as a first-time cast member. “This was my first experience with theater at RV, and I wish I had done other productions in the past. It was an incredible experience and everyone was so welcoming,” Fredericksen said.
From “Brat Summer” to RV’s productions, 2024 was filled with big hits and phenomena, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for 2025. The productions and spectacles of last year will be hard to compete with, but 2025 must come and we must leave 2024 behind. With a new year comes new productions by RV, new albums by artists, and new pop culture phenomena that will shine in the spotlight, which we hope will live up to expectations.