Gagachella, Katy Perry Spacegate, and More Pop Culture News
In the headlines
Hello, April! As usual, we give you the lowdown on the biggest pop culture news coming out of Hollywood all in one place. From Lady Gaga taking over Coachella to the controversy around Katy Perry’s space visit (yes, you read that right), find out what’s got everyone IRL and URL talking this month.
Gagachella breaks the internet
While some may argue that Coachella is no longer what it was, Lady Gaga‘s headlining set (her second since 2017) certainly brought much attention and buzz to the desert music festival. Dubbed ‘Gagachella‘, the term trended on X (previously Twitter) worldwide as live audiences and netizens praised the superstar for her jaw-dropping performance. For almost two hours, the singer belted out hits such as ‘Abracadabra’, ‘Poker Face’, ‘Bad Romance’, ‘Shallow’, ‘Alejandro’, and more amidst a gothic-inspired theatrical set design.
While Beyoncé’s 2018 headlining set has long been regarded as the best Coachella performance of all time, it wasn’t long before netizens debated whether Gagachella stole the crown or if Beychella still reigns supreme. Here are some of the best social media reactions from Gagachella:
song of the yearperformance of the yearalbum of the yearidc #GAGACHELLA pic.twitter.com/dK5gVFw3Q8
— ∀lzirr (@GagasLeftT0e) April 12, 2025
best. coachella. set. ever.LADY GAGA DID THAT. #GAGACHELLA pic.twitter.com/qcXLK1cSUX
— GⱯGⱯ THROWBⱯCKS (@ThrowbacksGaga) April 12, 2025
ladies and gentlemen the greatest female coachella performances of all time #GAGACHELLA pic.twitter.com/b63epwYllI
— micahyonce (@micahmonsta10) April 12, 2025
#GAGACHELLA out of context pic.twitter.com/ohCQlffULp
— Maxiм (@maximkuzlin) April 12, 2025
just rewatched lady gaga’s entire coachella set and it really is the best set ever like she really made history pic.twitter.com/qCiUYKiHRO
— mazzy (@mazzypopstar) April 15, 2025
lady gaga gave the best coachella performance of all time. pic.twitter.com/i2EnbL5Qfo
— pop culture gal (@allurequinn) April 19, 2025
Katy Perry faces backlash over space flight mission
We guarantee your Monday morning wasn’t as exciting as Katy Perry’s because the pop star was one of six individuals who took part in an all-female space mission run by Blue Origin (a company funded by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos). Together with Gayle King, Lauren Sanchez, NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn, and activist Amanda Nguyen, the fleet took off to space for a total of 11 minutes.
Weightless and limitless. pic.twitter.com/GQgHd0aw7i
— Blue Origin (@blueorigin) April 14, 2025
The expedition was met with backlash by netizens who claimed the optics of the space mission were ‘tone deaf’ and ’embarrassing’. They also questioned the exorbitant price tag, the environmental impact, the waste of resources, and the dramatic antics of the crew once they touched back down to Earth. Specifically, Perry’s actions of showing her tour setlist in microgravity, dropping to her knees to kiss the ground after her short expedition and accepting journalists’ labelling her as an astronaut.
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In typical internet fashion, numerous memes have been made from the voyage. Check out some of the social media reactions from X below:
katy perry went to space for like 4 minutes wtf is she kissing the ground for pic.twitter.com/dU5Iy9gPmB
— kira (@kirawontmiss) April 14, 2025
“katy perry going to space!!” The actual trip: pic.twitter.com/JK4mOyuiKY
— solcito (@_valkyriecroft) April 14, 2025
The 2 astronauts who were stuck in space for 9 months watching Katy Perry kiss the ground after being in space for 10 minutes. pic.twitter.com/tCsHjpq1ac
— Men’s Humor (@MensHumor) April 15, 2025
why did i think katy perry would stay in space for a few days/weeks pic.twitter.com/IVcjVtZ4rL
— arianators wildin (@arianatorswildt) April 14, 2025
katy perry didn’t sing E.T in space…… pic.twitter.com/6P8nSPPVxw
— 2000s (@PopCulture2000s) April 14, 2025
this guy was longer in the air than you were in space https://t.co/8teFkpmWZg pic.twitter.com/RVOth7ymrY
— kira (@kirawontmiss) April 15, 2025
Lana Del Rey welcomes spring with ‘Bluebird’
On 18 April, Lana Del Rey releases her new single ‘Bluebird’. Featuring pared-back fingerpicking, ethereal vocals, and sweeping strings, ‘Bluebird’ follows her surprise release ‘Henry, Come On’, her first single of 2025. The singer will embark on a sold-out UK & Ireland summer tour. It is her first UK & IE stadium tour, including two dates at Wembley Stadium.
Miley Cyrus sings of the ‘End of the World’
Miley is back with new music! On 4 April, the pop icon unveiled the first official single, ‘End of the World’, off of her highly anticipated forthcoming album, Something Beautiful, out 30 May.
The retro-inspired music video features striking yet simple visuals as it showcases Miley—in an original custom Mugler by Casey Cadwallader—in her element on stage with her microphone in hand, reminiscent of her 2024 GRAMMYs performance.
Worlds collide in Tron: Ares official trailer
It’s been 15 years since the last film but judging from the jaw-dropping visuals, it’s been worth the wait for loyal fans. Featuring the signature futuristic aesthetic of the original movie and new original music from Nine Inch Nails, Tron: Ares stars Jared Leto as a red AI program that enters the real world.
The film is a standalone sequel to Tron: Legacy and the third installment in the Tron franchise. The sci-fi action blockbuster premieres in theatres on 10 October 2025.
Ed Sheeran spreads love with ‘Azizam’
Ed Sheeran is marking a new musical era and it’s Persian-inspired! Released on 4 April, ‘Azizam’ is a fiesta of a pop track that incorporates Middle Eastern influences, inspired by producer Illya Salmanzadeh’s Persian heritage. “Azizam” is a term of endearment in Farsi that translates to “my dear” or “my darling” that can be used in romantic and platonic settings. The playful music video sees Sheeran traveling around the United States with a pink balloon, spreading love and positive energy as the song suggests.
‘Azizam’ is the first track of the best-selling singer’s eighth studio album, which is set to release sometime later this year. It will be called Play, kicking off a new series of EPs that will be called Pause, Rewind, Fast-Forward and Stop, reminiscent of his Mathematics-themed albums.
A sneak peek of DC’s upcoming Superman
Can’t wait for James Gunn’s Superman? Here’s a sneak peek to tie you over until this July! The snippet doesn’t reveal too many spoiler-y details, apart from more scenes of Superman with his adorable furry super-companion, Krypto, and the Fortress of Solitude, which was a home base for Superman in the comics. Superman will be in theaters and IMAX on 9 July 2025.
The first reveal of The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping
While fans of the franchise are still reeling from the release of Suzanne Collins’ book of the same name on 18 March, the logo sequence of the film adaptation has been revealed. In the short sequence, audiences see a fiery volcano—one of the settings of Haymitch’s games—erupt as the lava transforms into a snake. The final logo features a snake and a songbird ( prominent symbols of Coriolanus Snow’s prequel A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes).
Sunrise on the Reaping centres on a teenage Haymitch Abernathy during his time in the 50th Hunger Games, also known as the Second Quarter Quell, where there are double the number of tributes in the deadly arena. The film premieres on 20 November 2026.
Djo returns with cinematic new album ‘The Crux’
If Djo’s ‘End of Beginning’ was (or is) constantly on repeat, you’ll want to stream his latest album, The Crux. The record’s focus track, ‘Potion’, is an orange-drenched acoustic-led song that transports listeners to the warmth of Lauren Canyon.
The Crux spotlights lush guitars and instrumentation reminiscent of late ‘60s and ‘70s pop—a departure from his previous albums, which were bedroom recordings centered around synths. Stream the 12-track album from the Stranger Things actor and rising music star below!
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