The Year in...

Highly entertaining moments. We've already talked about “Barbie,” Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift. But there was so much more: Like when Cardi B threw the mic, and Bad Bunny threw the phone. Or when Lana Del Rey worked at Waffle House, and the Met Gala purred. Don’t forget: Grimace shook up the internet (nope, we’re not talking about Threads). Time to rewind and review the other ways 2023 did it for the plot…

In viral moments…Bobbi Althoff got Drake in bed. Kravis welcomed a baby. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are living a love story. Just remind them: Kim already got married in Italy and attenzione, pickpocket. Speaking of Italy, may no one think about the Roman Empire ever again.

In music…Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice taught us to be bad like the Barbie, and Miley to buy ourselves flowers. Doja Cat painted the town red, as Olivia Rodrigo spilled her “Guts.” Steph Curry and Paramore gave us a slam dunk duet. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones dropped new music. Peso Pluma went global. Oh and, Rihanna shined bright — with a bump — at the Super Bowl.

In tv and film…“The Idol” didn’t live up to its name. But “M3gan” did. “The Last of Us” didn’t play around. “Succession” left a legacy. “Queen Charlotte” ruled, and “The Crown” ended its reign. Speaking of what’s on Netflix, password sharing largely became a thing of the past. On the big screen, Halle Bailey took us under the sea, and Timothée Chalamet became a chocolatier. Meanwhile, Hollywood writers and actors shook up the industry.

In style…Hailey Bieber strutted as a nepo baby in a red dress. Justin Bieber didn’t. People wore  big red cartoon boots. Plus, Harry Styles and SBF got haircuts that created lots of buzz. 

In sports…Megan Rapinoe kicked it into retirement. As did Tom Brady…again. But Simone Biles came back beaming. Spain won its first Women’s World Cup. Shohei Ohtani scored big off the field. And Aaron Rodgers’ injury had everyone wondering if the NY Jets really are cursed.

That was a lot, but we’re not done yet. Tune in tomorrow for the best articles and books of the year — and Sunday for a 2024 preview that’ll make you want to skip to the good parts.