Well...that was a rollercoaster of a year.

2021 flew by in a blink of an eye. What seemed to be a whirlwind of a year, from the much-anticipated vaccine rollout that warranted the memorable "Hot Vaxxed Summer" to celebrity controversies that made unusual headlines across the globe, 2021 definitely kept us all on our toes. So much has happened within the span of 365 days, it's hard to keep track of the growing amount of trends and contentious celebrity news that took the world by surprise.
With the fashion world facing an unexpected loss, the music industry welcoming major comebacks, and TikTok trends that kept us entertained amidst the rollercoaster of a year we all collectively experienced, L'OFFICIEL&nbsp;looks back on the most viral moments from this past year that are sure to unlock a memory you thought you've forgotten.

The world was stunned after learning about the death of one of fashion's most beloved figures and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/virgil-abloh-final-runway-louis-vuitton-mens-miami-tribute-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louis Vuitton</a> menswear creative director <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/virgil-abloh-dead-at-41-from-cancer-louis-vuitton-mens-designer-off-white" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virgil Abloh</a>. The designer became the first Black creative director at a major luxury house and was largely recognized for bringing streetwear into the luxury realm of one of the world's most profitable industries. The 41-year-old creative suffered from a rare form of cancer called cardiac angiosarcoma, which he privately battled since 2019.

End of Britney Spears' Conservatorship

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/britney-spears-instagram-freebritney-conservatorship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Britney Spears</a> is finally free. After a <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/britney-spears-exposes-conservatorship-abuse-free-britney-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">conservatorship</a> managed by her father Jamie Spears for 13 years, Spears and her fans celebrated the artist's newfound freedom in light of the #FreeBritney movement. 2021 was a great year for Spears, with her recent engagement to long-time beau <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/britney-spears-will-wear-versace-wedding-dress-donatella-versace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Asghari</a>, as well as receiving a long overdue apology from ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake in the wake of Hulu documentary Framing Britney Spears&nbsp;that shed light on the misogynist media treatment of the singer amidst their controversial breakup in 2002.

After a five-year hiatus, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/adele-asks-spotify-to-remove-shuffle-button-30-album" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adele</a> made her major comeback with the release of 30.&nbsp;The "Easy On Me" singer wrote in an Instagram post that her latest album was incepted during "the most turbulent period of [her] life," alluding to the heartbreak she faced during her turbulent divorce with ex-husband Simon Konecki.

Here's some surprising news we never saw coming: <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/zayn-malik-gigi-hadid-split-after-yolanda-hadid-accuses-him-of-striking-her" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid</a> broke up, but what's shocking is the reason behind their split; Yolanda Hadid, Gigi's mother, claimed that the "Pillow Talk" singer allegedly pushed her into a dresser after reportedly trespassing into the singer's home, which Malik denied. Malik was charged with four counts of harrassment and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/zayn-malik-pleads-no-contest-to-harassing-gigi-yolanda-hadid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pleaded no contest</a> against these allegations for the sake of his and Hadid's daughter, Khai.

Photo courtesy of Netflix

The hit South Korean TV show <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/squid-game-renewed-season-2-netflix-korean-tv-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Squid Game</a> that follows the lives of 456 impoverished individuals who barbarically play a series of traditional children's games for a cash prize, became Netflix's biggest hit with over 1.65 billion hours viewed within its first 28 days, taking the spot from the period-drama Bridgerton as Netflix's most-streamed show. The release of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/film-tv/new-k-dramas-to-watch-after-squid-game-fall-winter-2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Squid Game</a> put South Korea once again on the map within the global film and TV industry, following in the footsteps of the Oscar-winning 2019 movie Parasite.

Don't deny it&mdash;you've probably salivated over Emily Mariko's simple salmon recipes on TikTok at least once (or perhaps tried out the recipes yourself). The 29-year-old lifestyle influencer who hails from the Bay Area found overnight success with her ASMR-style cooking videos that drew the attention of millions for their seemingly easy, unfussy everyday recipes.

Megan Fox and Kourtney Kardashian's Baby Daddies

@kourtneykardash

Who remembers when <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/megan-fox-kourtney-kardashion-topless-skims-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Megan Fox and Kourtney Kardashian</a> introduced singer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/a-complete-timeline-of-machine-gun-kelly-and-megan-fox-s-relationship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Machine Gun Kelly</a>&nbsp;and drummer <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/what-to-know-about-travis-barker-kourtney-kardashian-finace-drummer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Travis Barker</a> as their "future baby daddies" during the VMAs? We certainly do. The recently-engaged Barker and Kardashian as well as Fox and Kelly's relationship made headlines throughout the summer for their steamy couple selfies and questionable declarations of love for each other, setting a new boyfriend type called the "<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/depressive-demon-nightmare-boy-2021-relationship-trend-pete-davidson-kardashian-travis-barker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Depressive Demon Nightmare Boy.</a>"&nbsp;

Demi Lovato &amp; The Froyo Fiasco

<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/demi-lovato-comes-out-non-binary-they-them-pronouns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Demi Lovato</a> slammed Los Angeles yogurt shop The Bigg Chill for allegedly triggering their past eating disorder by putting sugar-free options of their products on display. The singer wrote on their Instagram saying &ldquo;Finding it extremely hard to order Froyo from @TheBiggChillOfficial when you have to walk past tons of sugar-free cookies/other diet foods before you get to the counter,&rdquo; accusing the store for their &ldquo;harmful messaging&rdquo; and ending the post with #DietCultureVultures. The Bigg Chill then went on Instagram to defend themselves saying &ldquo;We carry items for Diabetics, Celiac disease, Vegan and of course have many indulgent items as well.&rdquo; Lovato has since apologized to The Bigg Chill for their damaging Instagram post.&nbsp;

After months of speculation, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/kanye-west-responds-kim-kardashian-divorce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kim Kardashian</a> filed for divorce from her husband of six years rapper <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/who-is-vinetria-kanye-west-new-girlfriend-dating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kanye West</a>. Since the divorce filing, West has been seen with several women including model <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/irina-shayk-talks-dating-kanye-west-relationship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Irina Shayk</a>, but the rapper has also appeared on interviews noting that Kardashian has yet to hand him the divorce papers and that they are "still married." On the other hand, Kardashian made headlines for her new relationship with comedian <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/kim-kardashian-pete-davidson-officially-dating" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pete Davidson</a> after being spotted on numerous dates around New York City and&nbsp; Los Angeles.

Olivia Rodrigo's Overnight Success With "Driver's License"

If you were on TikTok in the beginning of the year, you probably remember when everyone began investigating <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/olivia-rodrigo-drivers-license-song-drama-sabrina-carpenter-joshua-bassett" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Olivia Rodrigo's love triangle</a> drama with High School Musical: The Musical co-star Joshua Bassett after the release of her hit song "Driver's License." TikTok users kicked off the year streaming the single in support of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/who-is-olivia-rodrigo-drivers-license-sour-album-sustainable-fashion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodrigo</a> through her breakup that skyrocketted the singer into stardom. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/sabrina-carpenter-responds-to-olivia-rodrigo-new-song-skin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rodrigo</a> has since released her best-selling album Sour and has been nominated for several Grammy awards.

10 Most Viral Moments of 2021

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