While it has something for everyone, pop culture is filled with constantly changing media, from Taylor Swift dating a football player, to everyone having a “brat summer,” to even the long-awaited “Beetlejuice” sequel coming out. Here are some positive things you may have missed.

Lady Gaga Announces New Album: Harlequin.

On September 20, Lady Gaga posted the cryptic message, “I’m ready for my interview,” on her Instagram. The next day, she posted, “Don’t tell me what to wear.” After that, there was a new cryptic message for the Little Monsters to read every day, along with the latest snippets of random instrumentals. Finally, on September 24, Lady Gaga announced her new album, Harlequin, a companion album with the soundtrack of her latest movie, “Joker: Folie à Deux,” the name of the companion album coming from the name of Gaga’s character in the new movie. 

She deems this album “LG6.5,” and fans assume it is not the follow-up to her 2020 release, “Chromatica,” considering that she has said the first single for LG7 will be released sometime in October. Regardless, new music is new music, and fans are living for it. 

SZA is…now a bug?

On September 25, their publishing company, First We Feast, released a sneak peek of SZA on the popular YouTube show “Hot Ones.” The show features celebrities eating increasingly spicy wings while being interviewed. 

“I’m wondering if we should even acknowledge the prosthetics,” Sean Evans, the host of the show, tells SZA as the clip starts. From there, SZA simply responds, “I’m just tired…of being not a bug.”

The bug prosthetics are a new look for the R&B singer, as when fans normally see her at a live show or even an interview like this one, she’s seen without these prosthetics and the only thing added is her gorgeous makeup. 

An announcement came a day before this, showing SZA as the next guest in the hot seat and donning her bug prosthetics for the first time. 

Sabrina Carpenter Starts Her “Short n’ Sweet” Tour.

Sabrina Carpenter sets off on her first-ever arena tour for her new album, Short N’ Sweet. Appearing with her chunky boots and a sparkly pink dress, Carpenter started her tour in Columbus, Ohio, on September 23. 

While Carpenter is only performing songs from her new album and previous release, emails i can’t send, she also does a surprise cover every night and picks the song in front of the whole crowd with a game of Spin The Bottle. 

The stage is detailed and features a mock-up bathroom for her performance of opposite and Sharpest Tool, as well as a bedroom set for her performance of Bed Chem, to a runway that extends from the stage to the middle of the crowd with a heart at the end of it. 

Carpenter has outdone herself on this tour, and her growth from her last tour, where the venues had caps of around 2,000 people, to now playing sold-out arenas is truly remarkable. 

GFRIEND is set to make a reunion

Popular 3rd generation K-pop girl group, GFRIEND, is set to have a reunion for their 10th anniversary! 

South Korean news outlet JoyNews24 quoted a music industry insider reporting that GFRIEND would reunite in January to start a new project. Source Music, the music label that GFRIEND is contracted with, said, “In January of next year, GFRIEND plans to greet fans with a project to celebrate their 10th debut anniversary. The members’ wishes to gift a precious memory to BUDDY (GFRIEND’s official fan club) came together to successfully realize this project.” 

Disclaimer: Quote is translated from Korean to English and may not be entirely accurate to the original source.

Reddit user “theredvelet” commented under the article in the group’s subreddit, saying, “3 years ago, May 18th, 2021, I woke up, and the first thing I saw was disbandment news of my ult group. Today, I woke up, and this was the first news I had seen. I’m trying not to cry so hard.” 

BUDDY is very excited about this brand-new project from the group, considering GFRIEND has not released any new work since November 2020, and fans are excited for what comes next.

BLACKPINK is set to have a comeback and world tour in 2025

Another win for the 3rd-generation K-pop fans! 

Their label, YG Entertainment, recently confirmed the girl group BLACKPINK will be coming out with a new album and going on a world-wide tour. Fans had speculated that the group BLACKPINK was disbanded, with each member venturing into solo careers. YG Entertainment released a statement on September 24, 2024, revealing that “In 2025, BLACKPINK plans to have a full group comeback and visit their fans on their world tour.” 

In anticipation of the comeback, LVA student, Christiana Gordon, spoke on her feelings towards this and if she would attend the tour. “Yes, I’m very excited about it,” said Gordon. “I went to their last tour, so I’m going to try to make it this one.” 

It’s safe to say that BLINKS [BLACKPINK’s fanbase] are ready for the new album. 

So there you have it! Overall, it’s a big year for pop culture, especially in music. From SZA’s public look now being an insect, to BLACKPINK making a long-awaited return, there’s a slight insight into some positive things going on in pop culture right now.