149 Gifts for Everything They’re Into
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Ask five people to name the movie, TV show, book, podcast, song, or other piece of pop culture they were most obsessed with this year, and you’re liable to get five different answers. That’s art in the time of a splintered monoculture; there’s more to love and more to be utterly baffled by if your nearest and dearest are consumed by something you don’t know anything about. But for the diehards, an IYKYK gift is often the best there is — so we’ve curated a guide full of perfect presents for fans of some of the biggest pop-culture “properties” that people were obsessed with this year, from those with Taylor Swift–level name recognition (including Tay herself) to more niche Nathan Fielder types. (And for even more ideas, we’ve got dozens moregift guides for every type of person.)
Addison Rae
After years in the TikTok spotlight, Addison Rae cemented her status as a pop star with her debut album,Addison. And where there’s a pop star, there are stans.
KPop Demon Hunters
Netflix’s all-time most-watched original movie also dominated theBillboardcharts, inspired many aHalloween costume, and moved thousands of kids to add “K-pop star” to their lists of future career aspirations.
Lonesome Dove
Originally published in 1985, Larry McMurtry’s famous western got a cultural resurgence for its 40th-birthday gift.
Geese
The New York four-piece broke through so successfully withGetting Killed, their fourth studio album, that people began to wonder ifGen Z’s first great rock bandhas arrived …
Goose
… while beloved jam band Goose (no relation) dropped two new albums —Everything Must Goin April and the surpriseChain Yer Dragonin August — and many a casual pop-culture fan had to learn the difference between Goose and Geese.
Pop Mart drops
Love them or hate them, creepy-cuteLabubusand their many blind-box brethren became a global craze.
Jonathan Haidt
A swirl ofAnxious Generationacolytes, mounting screen-time research, and nationwidephone bansin schools had everyonereconsideringtheircrippling addictions to their phones.
The Summer I Turned Pretty
The final season of Amazon’s“Challengersfor teenagers”had teens and adults alike on the edge of their seats. Luckily, there’s already aThe Summer I Turned Prettymovie in the works.
Weapons
While few can agree on what, exactly, Zach Cregger’sWeaponsis about, people sure loved talking about it — especially horror’s best campy new villain, Aunt Gladys.
The Gilded Age
Three seasons in, the objectively ridiculous HBO period drama is also one ofthe most enjoyable shows on television. (Strategist writer and avowedGilded Agefan Ambar Pardilla also compiled an entireGilded Agegift guide, if you’re looking for more ideas.)
’90s alt rock and grunge
Between Oasis’s unexpected reunion, a Pavement documentary, and lots of tours from other alt-rock and grunge acts, it’s an especially good time to be a fan of ’90s music. (Strategist senior writer Lauren Ro also wrote a more extensiveGrunge Kids gift guide, if you’re looking for more ideas.)
Indie movies only
Even in aWickedworld, art-house cred still means something.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City
WithJen Shah out of prisonand another excellent season underway,The Real Housewives of Salt Lake Cityremains Bravo’s best.
Chalamet fashion
Perhaps even more than his acting chops, his relationship with Kylie Jenner, or his apparently numerous look-alikes, the Timothée Chalamet conversation revolved around his street style.
The Life of a Showgirl
Taylor Swift had another big year; even though her latest release was met with mixed reception, it became the fastest-selling album in history and gave Swifties asurprisingly graphiclook into your English teacher and your gym teacher’s love story.
Good Hang
Amy Poehler’s cozy balm of a podcast delivered on its titular promise with a stacked lineup full of guests, including Michelle Obama, Ina Garten, Martin Short, Olivia Colman, Paul Rudd, and Cole Escola.
Marco Zamora
For a certain aesthetic set, Zamora is the go-to source for all things décor.
6-7
One of the year’s most ridiculous memes took the tween world by storm.
NYTGames
Crossword puzzles — and other logic problems and brain-benders likeNYT“Games”’s 2025 release,Pips— are eternal.
Tim Robinson
The absurdist comedian built on his well-deserved cult following forI Think You Should Leavewith an A24 feature film,Friendship,and the debut of his bizarre new HBO series,The Chair Company.
Nathan Fielder
Just when it seemed like Nathan Fielder couldn’t further blur the line between his comedy and reality,The Rehearsalseason twowent so hardon aviation safety and made it all the way to Congress.
Chris Fleming
Completing the oddball comedy trio, Chris Fleming went on tour across the country, including performances at Union Hall in Brooklyn and Carnegie Hall (plus a stint as a dog-show judge forRachel Antonoff and Susan Alexandraduring New York Fashion Week).
The Pitt
Long past theGrey’s Anatomyheyday and more than 30 years afterER, the extremely compelling Noah Wyle drama proved that hospital procedurals can still break through.
Thursday Murder Club
IfGrantchesterandFoyle’s Warwere set in modern-day England they might look and sound just like theThursday Murder Clubbooks and 2025 Netflix movie starring Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan. If you haven’t read all the books yet, lucky you (the audiobooks are excellent too).
Sinners
Ryan Coogler’s southern-gothic vampire flick — starring Michael B. Jordan twice as twins Smoke and Stack — had the biggest opening for an original film since Jordan Peele’sNopein 2022.
Dancing With the Stars
Younger contestants over the last couple seasons have drawn Gen Z into the race for the Mirrorball, and season 34 dancers like Whitney Leavitt fromSecret Lives of Mormon Wives, influencer Alix Earle, and eventual winner Robert Irwin (following in Bindi’s footsteps!) helped complete the comeback.
Fashion Substacks
Goodies for the style girlies.
Bad Bunny
It was a big year for Bad Bunny, between the release ofDebí Tirar Más Fotos,his 30-day residency in Puerto Rico, a world tour, and the announcement that he’ll be headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show next year — now known as the “Benito Bowl.”
Lady Gaga
Mother Monster’s lastest album returned to the pop sound from her early days circaThe Fame.
Wicked: For Good
Wickedreturned to theaters, with the press tour and merchandising to match.
Emily in Paris
Season five is about to drop, with Emily leaving Paris for Italy. Gift the fans in your life a continental spread to accompany their holiday viewing.
10 Years ofHamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 smash-hit Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway musical has officially lived for a decade; in addition to celebrations likean original cast reunion at the Tonys, Hamilheads got to reap the anniversary merch.
Stranger Things
Almost a decade after the Netflix series first premiered,Stranger Thingsreturned for its final season with the gang on a mission to kill Vecna.
Reporting by:Amelia Jerden,Liza Corsillo,Erin Schwartz,Dominique Pariso,Ambar Pardilla,Tembe Denton-Hurst,Sam Daly,Kitty Guo, andNajwa Jamal.
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The Strategistis designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read abouthere. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
