Coachella 2025, live-action Toothless and more pop culture news
In the headlines
In this edition of our pop culture catch-up, get up to date on breaking pop culture news, from Liam Payne’s funeral to the latest trailer releases.
Say hello to your performers for Coachella 2025!
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Coachella is ready to set the dessert on fire again with its 2025 lineup. Lady Gaga, Green Day and Post Malone will headline the music festival which will take place over two weekends on 11 to 13 April and 18 to 20 April 2025. Other notable acts include K-pop stars Lisa and Jennie of Blackpink and boy group Enhyphen. Charli XCX, Benson Boone, XG, Megan Thee Stallion, Missy Elliott, Annita, Zedd, Tyla and more will also be gracing the stage. Fans can register for access to passes here.
Friends and family gather for Liam Payne’s funeral
On Wednesday, former One Direction member Liam Payne was laid to rest in St Mary’s Church in Amersham, England, where the singer resided following his split from pop star Cheryl. Payne’s family and closest friends gathered at the cathedral to celebrate his life and legacy in a private ceremony.
Among the mourners were fellow bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, music mogul and creator of One Direction Simon Cowell, TV host James Corden, and Payne’s girlfriend Kate Cassidy.
On 16 October, the 31-year-old fell to his death from a third-floor balcony at the Buenos Aires hotel. Official autopsy reports revealed that Payne died from polytrauma, a condition involving multiple injuries such as internal and external bleeding, and damage to his skull, chest and limbs.
Preliminary toxicology tests also indicate that the singer had several substances in his system such as cocaine, benzodiazepine, MDMA, ketamine, methamphetamine, and other drugs which aligned with Payne’s history of addiction. He is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear Payne.
How To Train Your Dragon reveals live-action teaser trailer
Toothless is here! On 20 November, Universal Pictures unveiled the teaser trailer for its live-action adaptation of the beloved Dreamworks animated franchise. Directed and written by Dean DeBlois, the film will follow a young Viking named Hiccup (Mason Thames) who struggles to live up the pressures of being the son of Chief Stoick the Vast (Gerald Butler reprising his voice role from the animated franchise). When he befriends Toothless, a rare and feared Night Fury dragon, their unlikely bond will challenge the very foundations of Viking society. How To Train Your Dragon premieres on 13 June 2025.
Robert Pattinson teams up with Christopher Nolan again
Since Nolan’s sci-fi thriller Tenet in 2020, Robert Pattinson will be reuniting with the auteur for his new top-secret film project set for a 2026 release. Pattinson will round up the cast of leads for the feature, which includes Tom Holland, Matt Damon, and Anne Hathaway. Lupita Nyong’o and Zendaya will star in supporting roles. There have been several theories about what Nolan’s film will be about, from a period vampire drama to a helicopter action thriller. However, according to insiders, nothing comes close to what the writer-director has in store. Universal Studios has set the date of release to be 17 July 2026.
Stakes are higher than before in Thunderbolts*
A special look at Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated film, Thunderbolts*, was revealed at D23 Brazil and excitingly, it features several familiar Malaysian locations! In the trailer, keen-eyed fans can see Florence Pugh jumping off the roof of Merdeka 118, the second-tallest building in the world. In another scene, Pugh is walking through a street when Menara Pacific Place explodes in the background. Based on the Marvel Comics team of the same name, Thunderbolts* follows a group of anti-heroes and supervillains recruited to fight for the American government. Premiering in May 2025, the film also stars Sebastian Stan, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Harrison Ford as Thaddeus Thunderbolt Ross.
“Brat” is the 2024 word of the year
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Summer may be officially over but Brat most definitely isn’t. On 2 November, Collins Dictionary officially declared “brat” its word of the year for 2024! The UK-based dictionary publisher defines the word as someone “characterised by a confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude.”
“More than a hugely successful album, ‘brat’ is a cultural phenomenon that has resonated with people globally, and ‘brat summer’ established itself as an aesthetic and a way of life,” the dictionary further explains.
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First released on 7 June, Charlie XCX’s Brat instantly one of the most talked-about albums of the year, from its distinct slime-green colour to its catchy, head-bopping club tunes. On 11 October, The British singer released her highly-anticipated remix album, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat, featuring artists such as Ariana Grande and Bon Iver—stream it below!
Skeleton Crew debuts official trailer
Another Star Wards adventure is about to begin. Disney and Lucasfilm have released the trailer for Skeleton Crew, an action-packed series set in the New Republic. In the trailer, a group of kids discover a mysterious secret on their home planet which leaves them stranded and lost in a dangerous galaxy. Skeleton Crew premieres on Disney+ Hotstar on 3 December.
Rosé smashes records with APT
The APT craze continues! In just two weeks since its release, Rosé’s collaborative single with Bruno Mars has broken the record set by her group Blackpink with Ice Cream on the Billboard Hot 100. The song peaked at #8 on the chart, making this the highest rank by a South Korean female soloist. Further, APT is also making waves on British charts as the earworm soared to #2 on the British Official Singles Top 100, setting a new record for female K-pop artists.
Inspired by Rosé’s favourite Korean drinking game known as the “apartment game”, APT has been going viral on social media for its catchy chorus which repeats the word “apartment”, pronounced as “apatue”. APT is part of the singer’s tracklist for her upcoming album, rosie, set to drop on 6 December.
Stakes are higher than ever before in Squid Game Season 2 trailer
The games are about to begin. If you’ve been waiting for the sequel to Squid Game, you won’t have to wait much longer as the official teaser trailer has revealed plenty of stunning (and gut-wrenching) action. Lee Jung Jae reprises his role as Seong Gi-hun AKA Player 456 who re-enters the arena to expose the truth behind the competition. Familiar faces Lee Byung-hun and Wi Ha-jun also return to their roles as the mysterious Front Man and detective respectively.
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Created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game instantly became a global phenomenon after its debut in 2021. It is still Netflix’s most popular series in history with 2.2 billion hours watched. Catch the latest season on 26 December 2024.
Lady Gaga announces her return with dark pop anthem Disease
Mother Monster is back! On 25 October, Lady Gaga treated fans to an early Halloween surprise as she unveiled the music video of her highly anticipated single, Disease, which sees the iconic pop star returning to her dark, gothic pop roots.
“I think a lot about the relationship I have with my own inner demons. It’s never been easy for me to face how I get seduced by chaos and turmoil,” Gaga shared on social media. “Disease is about facing that fear, facing myself and my inner darkness, and realizing that sometimes I can’t win or escape the parts of myself that scare me…Dancing, morphing, running, purging. Again and again, back with myself. This integration is ultimately beautiful to me because it’s mine and I’ve learned to handle it. I am the conductor of my own symphony.”
With this release, little monsters around the world have become even more excited for Gaga’s big return to music with her seventh studio album, currently dubbed LG7, which is being released sometime in February 2025.
Halsey pays tribute to musical legends in her newest album
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Speaking of music, another artist who has made their return to music after a three-year hiatus is Halsey. For their fifth album, The Great Impersonator takes inspiration from different musical pop icons from the 1970s onwards such as Cher, Kate Bush, David Bowie, Dolly Parton and more. In the lead-up to her album release on 25 October, the Without Me singer unveiled a series of photoshoots recreating famous portraits of Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Aaliyah, and more.
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This body of work comes after Halsey was diagnosed with postpartum depression, lupus, and T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Described as a confessional album, The Great Impersonator explores the singer’s reflections and personal struggles with life, death and grief. Stream it below.
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