A Year In The Arts

As far as the arts go, 2025 served as a year of global reinvention and resilience as artists worldwide, in a multitude of capacities, worked intently to pursue their craft. Between the implementation of advancing technologies, creative experimentation and shifts in the way information flows, artists across the United States prove to be emerging into a world of immersive art and storytelling that provide viewers with experiences far beyond what they could’ve imagined before this year.

One primary asset that took the world by shock this year was the incorporation of artificial intelligence, more commonly known as AI, into the arts. Whether it be Tilly Norwood, a fully AI-generated actress, or an AI-generated song reaching number one on the charts, it is safe to say that the use of artificial intelligence in the arts has taken the world by storm. This incorporation proves to be an incredibly controversial topic for artists, and it opens many new forms of expression across the world.

On the Broadway stage, theater arts prove to be thriving again, now more than ever. Broadway and West End worked year-round to comprise immersive experiences for audiences that break the fourth wall and provide a more interactive atmosphere for viewers. Many musical productions now include the use of live performances, projective art, multimedia design effects and 3D effects. On the local side, theaters are working to become more all-inclusive by allowing patrons to pay what they can to see shows instead of projecting a specific price. This builds empathy within the arts and allows for an all-inclusive experience for viewers.

In a world full of digital noise, the arts this year prove to remain timeless, ultimately showing that some things never change; they just evolve.

Musical, Magical  

One of the most important assets of entertainment, music, plays an important role in culture. From yearning to heartbreak and revenge, the music of 2025 covers a range of emotions that anyone can experience and relate to. 

My personal favorite track, “back to friends” by Sombr represents the emotional aftermath of a breakup. This song especially highlights the hectic transition of lovers to friends, a hardship that many teens endure in their relationships. Numerous lyrics in the song express the sorrow and tension this significant change causes.

Aside from emotional music tastes, Sabrina Carpenter’s hit single “Manchild” demonstrates women’s lack of patience with immature men trying to pursue them. The lyrics sum up the problems many women face daily of men coming up to them and trying to become friends or lovers with them, highlighting that these women have no interest in men who have “never heard of self-care” and whose “brain just ain’t there.” 

Adding onto the recurring theme of relationship drama throughout these songs, Benson Boone’s “Mystical Magical” explains how the first feeling of falling in love with someone seems imaginary or enchanting. The lyrics “Cause it feels so mystical, magical” highlights the essence of yearning for a love that will potentially make life feel like a dream.

Film Frenzy

The year of 2025 delivered a wide range of movies and shows, from early releases like “Mufasa: The Lion King” to later December films, such as “Avatar: Fire and Ash.” Some notable shows popular among younger generations were “Adolescence,” “The Pitt” and “Forever.”

A phenomenon that no one could’ve expected was the global sensation, “KPop Demon Hunters.” Although the premise is based on K-pop, a not-so-popular music genre in the U.S., the movie spread like wildfire through social media posts. One factor of its popularity was its visuals, which told the story with intricate details and a pop of the colors. The movie’s popularity was further heightened by its music, which included both K-pop and Western influences, allowing for a broader audience to enjoy the movie. “Golden,” a song by the movie’s fictional girl group HUNTR/X, peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and could be heard everywhere for months. 

In recent years, the film industry has focused on rebooting shows and expanding the storylines of its characters through sequels. Familiar movies to many audiences brought the ideas of “Zootopia 2” and “Freakier Friday” to the screen.

Upon the successful release of “Wicked” in 2024, the sequel “Wicked: For Good” did similarly well. This part of the original Broadway show got a lot more mixed reviews for the story pacing and character development. References to “The Wizard of Oz” evoked nostalgia in the audience as a decently placed pop culture reference.

Bringing words on a page to the big screens has become a trend among some filmmakers who are signing the rights of infamous books to adapt them into films. Memorable book adaptations this year included “Regretting You,” season three of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “The Map That Leads to You.” The most famous of them, “The Summer I Turned Pretty” kept viewers on edge by releasing episodes every Wednesday and ensuring that the highly anticipated ending stayed a mystery. Evidently, all of these adaptations fell under the most popular dramatic romances of the year.

On Dec. 31, 2025, the finale episode to end one of Netflix’s most popular shows, “Stranger Things,” released and its ending shocked many fans. The two-hour long finale led many fans to dream big for their favorite character’s story coming to an end. From the “final boss scene” to Will’s coming-out scene, this episode sparked lots of critical conversations all over social media. Many commented that the finale missed their expectations by the “conformed” ending. Due to such dissatisfaction, some fans created theories and rumors in denial of the ending. Nevertheless, season five earned more than 105.7 million views since its release in November.

Political Perseverance

From Charlie Kirk’s death and its repercussions to the crackdown on illegal immigration by the Trump administration, 2025 has seen significant shifts occurring on the political stage.

Locally, the phone ban was put into effect on Sept. 1, 2025, following Greg Abbott’s signing of the bill in June. As surprising as it may seem to some, the majority of students have complied with these new rules and have found innovative ways to tolerate them, using Chromebooks for socializing more often or forming physical connections during lunches and passing periods. On the other hand, teachers for the most part seem to be in support of the ban, citing more productivity and increased communication.

Following the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk, a significant voice in the mainstream conservative movement, questions about who the real perpetrator was arose as videos of Kirk questioning Israel’s involvement in U.S. politics resurfaced, with many claiming Israel had involvement in his death. Whether this is true or not, distrust in Israel was amplified throughout the political scene, causing people to question the narrative pushed by the media. Many are also dissatisfied with how Turning Point USA handled the situation afterward.

Although questioning the U.S.’s relationship with Israel isn’t entirely new, a more recent emerging movement has seen significant traction with voices like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens. One commentator in this movement, Jeb Baugh, a former Texas High student, has openly denounced Israel’s hand in American politics through means such as American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) lobbying, arguing that they have overstepped their authority as a foreign nation and excessively dominate the US government. Instead, Baugh offers what he calls an “America First” approach to politics, distancing himself from the mainstream conservative movement and calling for strict, pro-American policies. Overall, his views have gotten him almost 80,000 followers on Instagram and millions of views.

Another point of contingency this year lies in Trump’s suppression and subsequent deportation of illegal immigrants through Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Since Trump’s official inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, he has enforced an anti-illegal immigration policy with heavy usage of ICE against those found to be illegal. Millions believe the way Trump is going about this is violent and unnecessary, disagreeing with the management and general premise of the operation, while others feel he is imposing sound restrictions on criminals and correcting the failures of some of the past presidents before him.

The government shutdown also became a huge and heated scandal. Starting on Oct. 1, 2025, the federal government halted for a total of 43 days following Congress’s failure to pass funding legislation. The decision led to what would become the longest shutdown in American history, which in turn brought significant outrage among the 40 million residents who currently receive aid in the country. Due to the standstill, government assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), were forced to go on an unprecedented hiatus. A complicated legal and administrative situation ensued, where the distribution of benefits was decided by the state, causing the amount of allotted benefits to be varied. Alternatives to government assistance used during the shutdown include the temporary use of state funds, increased reliance on local food banks and other non-profits, and even the establishment of legal cases with the federal government on the grounds of overstepping authority. This confusion and stress led to fury among the millions of aid recipients in the U.S. This feeling of neglect and overburdenedness during this time caused some to resort to desperate measures to meet their needs, including threatening to steal from their local grocery stores on social media. Even with the strain on the American people, FOX News reports that Democrats view the government shutdown as necessary, seeing it limits the power of the Trump Administration. These arguments have further separated the two main political parties, with the majority of Democrats supporting the government shutdown while Republicans opposed it.

The last major political event was Project 2025, an extensive conservative initiative with the goal of reshaping the government in favor of more right-wing policies, originally published in April of 2023 by the Heritage Foundation. Initially, this project was met with immense backlash and public outcry in left-wing circles on account of it marginalizing specific groups like racial minorities, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community, while proponents praised it for its call to restore traditional values as well as its plans to secure national sovereignty with more streamlined decision-making. Even though Project 2025 was created by Republicans for a Republican leader, Trump still distanced himself from it, condemning multiple proposals from it. Although he stated this, many objectives from Project 2025 still made it through.