From King Kylie to One Direction: 2025 becomes the year of comeback

Celebrities and pop culture continue to evolve each year, bringing in new trends and aesthetics for fans to follow and enjoy. But 2025 was somewhat different in this regards as it saw notable figures reviving their peak eras.

It almost seemed as if the stars realised their admirers need them in their raw and most artistic expression. Few were also of the opinion that this year is setting more of a 2016 vibes for the upcoming 2026. 

Famous personalities either recognised their true selves or marked an end to feuds and stood reunited, sending fans down memory lane.

Hollywood is full of surprises that make sure to leave jaws on the floor. Listed below are some of the most renowned rebranding that brought back a wave of excitment amongst the pop culture lovers:

1. King Kylie is back

This revival topped the list as Kylie Jenner blended her fashion statment with debut as a popstar. She brought back her glamorous King Kylie which is significantly associated with the snapchat era. 

Back in the time, the model was all over the internet in her bright coloured wigs, pigtails, bold makeup and voluminous lips.

In recent King Kylie phase, the fashion mogul relaunched her viral lip kits and dropped a continuation of the song 3 strikes, Fourth Strike with Terror Jr.

The moment opened a portal back in time when people experimented with colours and clicked pictures with pink wall at the golden hour.

2. Justin Bieber is not giving up

Justin Bieber has always been in the headlines either due to his music projects, marriage to Hailey Bieber or her ex Selena Gomez. Cancelling Justice tour halfway invited harsh criticism while his reported sale of the entire music catalogue added fire to the fuel.

A rebirth was much-need for Justin as he opted for it somewhere in mid-2020. He started off by ending his ties with fashion brand Drew House in April before ending a long-running feud with Scooter Braun through a financial settlement.

After regaining creative control, Justin was back in the studio to work on surprise albums Swag I and Swag II. His raw expression received rave review as they topped Billboard charts soon after debut. The pop icon’s Coachella headline announcement added to fans' excitement.

3. Taylor Swift saved from the fate of Ophelia

Going through two heartbreaks and immense hard work seemingly redefined Taylor in both professional and personal space. Her shift in attitude from a reserved public figure to a spontaneous artist is easily noticeable.

At first, the Lover crooner decided to get hold of her master recordings after losing them to Scooter Braun in 2016’s label purchase. The pop icon candidly updated Swifties about regaining the albums through a heartfelt letter.

The singer decided to re-write her story, beginning 2025 by dropping The Life Of A Showgirl with chart-topping tracks. Most importantly, her engagement to Travis Kelce became the highlight of the year.

4.Miley Cyrus marks end of Dark phase

Miley Cyrus, the iconic Hannah Montana, has been a Grammy winner for “channelling” heartbreak into blooming Flowers. After being relevant in 2010s, 2025 brought a a major twist to her life.

The songstress succeeded in ending a complex family dynamic and her estrangement with father Billy Ray Cyrus. In her new album Something Beautiful, she even dedicated a track to the country musician.

Speaking on her sister Brandi’s podcast Sorry We’re Cyrus, the singer labelled the extended time as the dark decade of their lives.

5. One Direction finds way through the dark

The infinite hiatus of 2016 might be coming to an end as One Direction members might come back together but without the late singer Liam Payne.

Starting off with Zayn Malik back in the game, his first project is a Netflix documentary with fellow member Louis Tomlinson. But that’s not what got the hopes high.

According to reports, PPM Music limited, originally responsible for managing the band, has the remaining four members listed as “Active Directors” in company documents.

6. When did Sabrina Carpenter get hot?

Leaving behind her Disney star label, Sabrina Carpenter completely indulged in her popstar phase after opening for Taylor Swift as her career skyrocketed.

Seeing her as a teenager in Girl Meets World, fans were somewhat hesitant to accept her new style and stage presence (Juno poses). This was evident after she released a suggestive album cover of Man’s Best Friend.

Instead of reconsidering her art due to backlash, the singer added fuel to the fire by releasing an alternative cover as a jab at critics. She also verbally addressed the criticism several times, making it clear she is comfortable in her sexuality.

7. Hello it’s Cardi B

Coming out of an abusive marriage with three children did not stop Cardi B from reinventing herself. She is the villain in her new chapter of life as described in the album Am I The Drama?.

2025 gave her a second chance at both love and music. She found her forever person, Stefon Diggs and debuted a new album. The WAP hitmaker is not holding back anything anymore.

On November 4, the Bodak Yellow crooner and the football wide receiver welcomed their bundle of joy.

8. Nicki Minaj: Queen of Rap at the UN

Nicki Minaj’s comeback turns out to be the most distinctive one on the list. The Barbie World crooner seemingly rose above extensive rants and jabs for a noble cause.

Surprisingly, a humanitarian issue caught her attention. Nicki voiced her concerns for the Christians suffering in Nigeria before applauding President Donald Trump for declaring Nigeria a “Country of Particular Interest.”

The tweet reached Ambassador to the UN ambassador Mike Waltz, paving a way for her special invitation to speak at the forum. This officially made her the first rapper to address at the international stage.

At the US mission in New York, Mike honoured the 42-year-old with a customised hoodie and playfully joined her fandom, renaming it as “the UN Barbz.”

9. Hailey Bieber’s Rhode is everywhere

After welcoming her and Justin’s son in 2024, Hailey Bieber shifted her focus back towards her brand Rhode and carved out a surprising path for it.

Initially recognised as a popstar’s wife, Hailey decided to make her own name in the beauty world this year. In a shocking turn of events, the model sold her company to e.l.f for a billion dollars.

Turning a deaf ear to all the criticism, the founder notably reserved the seat of Chief Creative Officer for herself. Her hard work was recognised at the 2025 WSJ with a Beauty Innovator Award.

10. It’s Ye Ye not Kanye West

The forever controversial Kanye West brought a new spin to his persona this year with a bizarre Grammy stunt. His wife Bianca Censori became the most searched after she stripped naked at the red carpet.

Nobody would have anticipated what Ye was up to in 2025 as he took over X (formerly Twitter) with explosive rants about communities, misogyny, his ex-wife Kim Kardashian and much more.

After the 48-year-old legally changed his name to Ye in 2018, the rapper was back with another bizarre twist. It was reported that his financial officer referred to him as Ye Ye in documentation.

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