Taylor Swift’s Girl Gang
Whereas past pop stars dealt in lifestyles or looks, Swift deals in aspirational meaningful relationships with others. At least that was the initial sell. On her 1989 tour, which saw miscellaneous pop culture characters (Joan Baez, Matt LeBlanc, Alanis Morissette) hauled on to the stage and into her squad, it soon became clear that Swift is less prolific friend-maker, more woman who uses human beings as props to flog records. Ironic, isn’t it?
The Sparrows
It started out innocuously enough: just a bunch of young guys carving intricate scars into their foreheads. But before we knew it, Game of Thrones’ Sparrows – led by an emaciated Jonathan Pryce – had King’s Landing in the hairy palms of their hands! Cersei Lannister managed to escape the Sparrows’ clutches, but only by enduring a nude walk that went on as long as one of their trials. She’ll have her revenge yet though, we’ll wager.
Minions
They’re pill shaped, they’re yellow and they won 2015. Their spin off movie from the Despicable Me franchise took more than $1bn at the global box office (Taylor Swift’s tour took a reported $200m). They’ve since been made into sweets, fancy dress costumes and low quality internet memes. Will we continue to find their be-goggled gibberish so adorable in the future? Come back to us when Minions 67 is out.
The Vuvalini
Mad Max: Fury Road is often described as one long car chase, but let’s not forget there are motorbikes in it, too. The two wheels are ridden by the baddest gang of bikers ever to have been old enough to use their free bus bass should their hogs run out of petrol, the Vuvalini. Not only are they all grannies and all lethal, this gang also the only hope for regreening the Earth (ie they have a bag of seeds). In real life, that would be great news for pigeons. In Mad Max, it’s practically an act of war.
Kanye West at the Brits
Who you gonna call when you need a stage invasion in 2015? If you’re Kanye the answer is: every grime MC in London. They joined him onstage at the Brits in February and, as Wiley tweeted: “A statement was made.” Grime may not have needed this US seal of approval but chart success followed and the once-underdog sound became ubiquitous. Even your boss now knows the words to Skepta’s Shutdown.
