Moments of 2021: Entertainment, Sports, Music, Culture, and more

2021 has been a year full of memorable moments. From music, sports, fashion, and entertainment, this year has delivered some things that will last forever. Here are our moments from 2021.

Entertainment 

  • Squid Game: The Korean Netflix show titled “Squid Game” took social media by storm this year. The Korean show was one of the most streamed and talked about shows this year. ‘Squid Game’ provided us with not only a beautifully written story with amazing actors, but also provided us with countless memes, costumes, and a new appreciation for Korean Film.
  • Spider-Man: No Way Home is already 2021’s highest-grossing film in just two weeks of its release. The John Watt’s directed film puts Peter Parker in a crisis in his personal life that eventually puts him against villains of the previous iterations of Spider-Man. (Spoiler Alert) The film also brings Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield back to the screen to portray their version of Spidey next to Tom Holland’s current version. Spider-Man: No Way Home has broken countless box office records and will continue to do so.
  • Dune was an excellent remake of the 1984 film and book that gave us amazing special effects as well as superb acting from its star cast of Timothe Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, and many others. The movie did amazing in the box office as well as on HBO Max. Dune was one of the most talked-about movies this year.
  • The Harder They Fall put some of the best black actors of today and yesterday on the same screen, paired with a great script from a real-life story and it made to be one of the best movies of the year. The performance from Jonathan Majors and Idris Elba with the supporting roles of Regina King, Lakeith Stanfield made the film a multiple-time award winner in several different categories.
  • Malcolm & Marie: The performance that Zendaya and John David Washington put on in ‘Malcolm & Marie’ was one of the best this year. The dialogue, the emotion shown through the body language, the story, and the black and white coloring made the film a joy to watch. 

Sports

  • Kyrie Refuses Vaccine: Covid-19 has been the main topic of discussion since it shut down the world in 2020. With the revelation of the vaccine, that also has put people on two different sides of the fence, regarding the Virus. This year, one of those people who made a stance against the vaccine is Brooklyn Nets All-Star guard Kyrie Irving. With Kyrie being the face of Anti-Vaxxers, the media has talked about Kyrie’s stance as a person and an NBA player. He is mentioned almost everyday on big sports shows like Undisputed and First Take regarding his status on taking the vaccine or not.
  • Tom Brady Wins 7th Super Bowl: Last year, after spending 20 years in New England, Tom Brady took his talents to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Just as he has in the previous two decades, Brady was successful throughout the season and led his team to to the Super Bowl where they defeated the Kansas Chiefs. Brady set his self apart from any player or franchise in NFL history, making his self the only one with Seven Super Bowl wins.
  • Paul Brothers: After years of becoming Youtube sensations, Jake and Logan Paul decided to step into the world of boxing. The Paul brothers raked in millions of dollars and views in their boxing matches this year. Jake Paul defeated former UFC champion Tyron Woodley twice, and knocking Ben Askren out cold in the first few moments of their fight. Logan Paul shared the ring with none other than Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition match. Despite all of the controversy that may surround them, the Paul brothers broke the bank and changed the landscape of boxing.
  • Messi Leaves FC Barcelona: Lionel Messi is one of, if not the biggest star in European Football. The Argentinian spent almost two decades dominating for his club of FC Barcelona. But this year, the unthinkable happened when Messi left FC Barcelona for Paris Saint Germain. Last year it was rumored that Messi would leave, but he signed back with the club. FC Barcelona’s financial struggles made it nearly impossible for Messi to sign back with the club under a new contract.
  • Naomi Osaka Upset In US Open: Naomi Osaka already has been a revolutionary player in the sport of tennis. Her enormous success early in her career put her high up on the pedestal of today’s best Tennis stars. But this summer, Osaka was upset by 18-year old Leylah Fernandez, who was ranked 74th in the world at the time. According to FanDuel, Osaka was a -710 favorite on the moneyline to win the match. After her loss, Osaka told the media about her mental health, and said that she would be taking a break from the sport.

Cultural

  • Jadakiss’s Verzuz Performance: In the midst of the pandemic, Verzuz had a huge role in bringing some of our favorite artists to the stage to perform classic songs. But when the Lox faced off against Dipset, it set the bar to a new level. The two legendary New York rap groups shared the stage at Madison Square Garden in front of a packed out arena. But Jadakiss ended up being the star of the show. Jadakiss’ hardcore bars mixed with his New York grit and charisma in addition to the other members of the Lox was a show to see. They set a new standard on how a Verzuz should go.
  • Brittney Spears Out Of Conservatorship: Brittney Spears was one of the biggest pop stars of the 2000s, but for the last 14 years she has been silenced. Now, Spears has the freedom to make her own medical, financial and personal decisions for the first time since 2008. Spears took to social media to give the fans the news about her situation and haas not been figuratively unchained.
  • Kanye West & Drake: Larry Hoover Benefit Concert: Kanye West and Drake put their differences to the side to give the culture a momentous event. Kanye hosted a Free Larry Hoover Benefit concert with Drake as the special guest. Kanye performed songs from every album and put on one of his most energetic performances we’ve seen in years. Drake performed songs from his latest album Certified Lover Boy and also had the crowd on a handstand. Towards the end of the shoe, the two iconic rappers joined the state to perform “Forever”, a song that both rappers appeared on over ten years ago. It surely was an iconic moment for Hip-Hop and culture as a whole.
  • NFTs: With the inception of the Metaverse and the world going digital, the emergence of NFT’s took the world by storm. Many large companies are taking apart in the NFT wave as well as artists creating their own art in the from of NFT’s. Rappers like Future and Gunna spent hundreds of thousands of dollars purchasing their own Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT’s. Expect to see NFT’s explode even more next year as the community becomes more educated on them.
  • Rest In Peace Virgil Abloh: The sudden passing of Virgil Abloh sent shockwaves through the world. Virgil worked with a plethora of companies over the years, from his own company Off-White to Nike, Louis Vuitton, Ikea, and many others, he left his mark in all aspects of design. Virgil designed jewelry, artwork for albums, and vehicles like cars and airplanes. His impacton the community can not be quantified, and his legacy will live on forever through his amazing work over the years.

Fashion

  • Salehe Bembury: Salehe Bembury was very active this year, and collaborated with several companies to deliver some amazing streetwear. From his most recent shoe with Crocs to his unique take on New Balances, Salehe had a huge impact on the fashion community this year.
  • Bottega Veneta: Italian brand Bottega Veneta notoriety exploded this year. With their unique designs on shoes and clothing along with their impeccable branding, Bottega was one of the hottest brands. With plenty of shout outs in many songs and the news of their split with Daniel Lee, Bottega became a household name.
  • Frank Ocean Launches Homer: Frank Ocean took a step into the world of luxury with the launch of Homer. Homer offers high-quality uniquely designed accessories like pendants, bracelets, chains, scarfs, and more.
  • Leo Gamboa + Reebok: Leo Gamboa has been taking Reebok’s streetwese to new levels since he’s joined the brand. Leo has tapped creative partners like JJJJound,, Needles, Nanamica, Eric Emmanuel, and Bronze. Gamboa has breathed a new life into Reebok and isn’t allowing down any time soon.
  • Met Gala Returns: This years Met Gala was very memorable from some amazing looks, as well as some not-so-great looks. People like Zoe Kravitz, A$AP Rocky, KiD Cudi, and Frank Ocean all had very notable looks. Not to mention others like Kim Kardashian, Lil Nas X, and Yara Shahidi who also turned necks.

Music

  • Vince Staples by Vince Staples: Long Beach rapper Vince Staples made his return to the music scene with his self-titled album. The album consisted of 10 tracks with a runtime of just 22 minutes, but it was filled with melodies, great bars, and great production. ‘Vince Staples’ feature Fousheé on ‘Take Me Home’, but had no other listed features. The album reminded folks of how talented of an artist that Staples is, as it the album is considered one of the best of the year by us and many others.
  • EST Gee’s 2021: EST Gee became a household name this year with the release of ‘Bigger Than Life Or Death’ and ‘Bigger Than Life or Death Pt.2”. The Louisville rapper is putting his city on the map from a music standpoint single handily with the consistency he’s displayed this throughout this year. His flow and bars have elevated him into one of the best emerging rappers we have today.
  • Adele’s ‘30’: Whenever Adele decides to drop music, the world pauses and takes a moment to listen. Well, she did just that with the release of her fourth studio album “30”, her first album in six years. Adele takes a very transparent and personal approach to the album, as she discusses her divorce and other matters in her life while also delivering some angelic and powerful vocals.
  • Call Me If You Get Lost: Tyler, The Creator has catapulted his self into a new stratosphere in Hip-Hops pantheon of great rappers today. Coming off of his synth-heavy and melodic ‘Igor’, Tyler decided that he wanted to go back to rapping, while also still having amazing production throughout. He tapped DJ Drama on the album to bring the feel of rap mixtapes of the past. Tyler also tapped Pharrell, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Wayne, and others to put the finishing touches on what many bring is the best album of the year. Tyler also delivered a cinematic element to the album with captivating visuals to match the theme of the album.
  • The Melodic Blue: Baby Keem has stepped into the mainstream with the release of bus debut album “The Melodic Blue”. With the backing of pgLang, Keem’s production and sound on the album was like no other than released this year. Visuals from songs like “Durag Activity” and ‘Family Ties’ made the experience of the album even more special. The album had a wide range of musicality that gave you many different sounds while not steering off route and having a lot of misplaced sounds with no direction, instead, he merge a lot of those to make an outstanding debut.