Every year when school starts, the summer is declared over. When summer leaves, so do all the exciting events that will forever be remembered as an integral part of the blissful time from June to August. The summer of 2018 had so much to offer, from new music from the world’s biggest celebrity couple to thrilling sequels of beloved classics.

Music

It’s literally impossible not to have heard “Girls Like You” by Maroon 5 somewhere by now. It has been played on every radio station almost exclusively. Maybe it’s because of the catchy tune, or the fact that both Adam Levine and Cardi B are in it, but either way, it was quickly described as the song of the summer.

Beyonce and Jay-Z, the power couple of the century, are always busy. This year, however, stood out as special because Queen Bey and Jay-Z released the Everything is Love joint album. A joint album was rumored to have been in the making for a while now but most people just brushed it off. Now, not only is it real, but Jay-Z and Beyonce are also going on tour together in the “On the Road 2.”

When Ariana Grande released her new song “God is a Woman” on July 13th as a part of her album Sweetener, it had mixed reviews from a wide range of people. Despite this, no one can deny the fun tune and boppin’ beat! In the face of the hate some people are giving her new song, Grande still gave a legendary performance of the song at the 2018 Grammys.

When Drake released his new song “In My Feelings,” fans rushed to their cars to get a video of them dancing to the song while outside of a moving car. Although this trend has been making the explore page on most people’s Instagram, it has also caught the attention of the police. While it is seemingly harmless, this challenge is a huge traffic hazard. However, crazy fans can’t help but pop open their car door and jump outside to dance when they hear the song.

Movies

Teenagers and adults rushed to the movie theaters on July 20 to see Mamma Mia 2. Not only did this movie have an all-star cast including Cher, Pierce Bronson, Lily James, and, for a few glorious minutes, but it also featured Meryl Streep herself. In the movie, we learn just how crazy Donna Sheridan was in her younger days and we also learn more about all of her flings.

There was an intense hype leading up to the release of the new romantic comedy, Crazy Rich Asians, and when it hit the big screen on August 15, expectations were exceeded. The movie has already raked in $53 million after being in theaters for a little over three weeks. It also featured a predominantly Asian and Asian-American cast, the first movie to do so since 1993. Overall, it brought a refreshing change to theaters and proved that the rom-com genre isn’t over yet.

Incredibles 2 is possibly the biggest movie event of the century, reaching $1.12 billion in revenue. Incredibles 2 came out on June 15, and people who haven’t seen it yet are definitely missing out. Viewers had to wait fourteen years to finally find out how the cliffhanger of the previous movie was resolved, since the original Incredibles movie came out in 2004.

Events that took over the news

There were two devastating incidents this summer that took over the news and social media. First, on Tuesday, July 24, one of the most successful and beloved pop singers of this generation, Demi Lovato, was rushed to the hospital after a drug overdose. Fans and other celebrities gave their condolences, and when Demi finally spoke out to the public to spread the news that she is doing great, everyone was overjoyed.

Also of note, Aretha Franklin, the queen of soul passed away on August 16, 2018. She was 76 when she died from pancreatic cancer. Her funeral was held on August 31 with many celebrity attendees, all providing support for her family and paying their respects to the queen of soul.

One of the more cheerful moments of the summer was the 21st FIFA world cup. Soccer fans from all over the world got to cheer for their favorite teams in 64 matches from June 14 to July 15. In the final match between Croatia and France, 700 million people tuned in worldwide  to see France earn the victory.

Back in July, Forbes magazine named Kylie Jenner the “youngest-ever self-made billionaire.” This created a storm on social media, as people debated whether she is “self-made.” Even the Webster’s Dictionary twitter account trolled Kylie Jenner with a clever tweet insinuating that they do not agree with Forbes’ recognition of Jenner.

Trends

There were a few other events this summer that may not have taken over national news, but certainly dominated social media for several weeks. First there was the “Zoom challenge,” then the “What the Fluff Challenge,” as well as the “That’s so sad, Alexa play Despacito meme,” and finally the Cardi B “sassy child” meme was born. Although not necessarily important, these internet trends and memes will be remembered as a big part of summer 2018.

The summer of 2018 was full of new music, groundbreaking movies, and tragic deaths that will not be forgotten. Although we have to focus on school now and have less time to keep up with celebrity news or internet trends, the memories of a relaxing but eventful summer linger on.