'KPop Demon Hunters' is US Google’s top-searched movie of the year. Photo: Handout
The year 2025, like many in this decade, can’t easily be summed up by a single word or phrase, but the top Google searches of the year certainly offer a reminder of the most memorable pop culture moments of the past 12 months.
From singer D4vd and KPop Demon Hunters to Labubus and “6-7,” little in 2025 has escaped the lens of polarity – but the annual rundown from the world’s preeminent search engine suggests that some names, trends and “ugly-cute” keychains might benefit from further explanation.
Below, a breakdown of some of the year’s most disturbing, intriguing and baffling trends…
The 20-year-old, Queens-born singer, real name David Anthony Burke, is the world’s most-searched person of the year, and America’s most-searched musician – but not because of his craft.
D4vd was at the beginning of a world tour in early September when the dismembered and decomposing remains of 15-year-old runaway Celeste Rivas Hernandez were found in the trunk of his impounded Tesla, sparking a search frenzy and devastating investigation.
As of mid-November, D4vd is considered a suspect in Rivas Hernandez’s apparent homicide, while a second person is believed to have assisted in the dismemberment of her body.
The 20-year-old D4vd, Queens-born singer, real name David Anthony Burke, is the world’s most-searched person of the year, and America’s most-searched musician – but not because of his craft. Photo: TNS
The Sony animated musical, released by Netflix this summer and newly crowned TIME’s Breakthrough of the Year, is US Google’s top-searched movie of the year, while Oscar Best Picture winner Anora is the most-searched movie worldwide.
KPop Demon Hunters centres on a K-pop girl group that moonlights as titular demon hunters, voiced by Arden Cho, May Hong and Ji-young Yoo.
The film – whose cast was also the top-searched of 2025 – was such a streaming hit that it was granted a singalong event in late October, which accounts for its surprise Golden Globe nomination for Cinematic and Box Office Achievement.
It also scored far less shocking nominations for Best Motion Picture-Animated and Best Original Song for Golden, which has been streamed more than 1.1 billion times on Spotify. Golden also topped the list of the world’s “hum to search” songs.
'KPop Demon Hunters' singers EJAE, Audrey Nuna, and Rei Ami perform during the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert in Inglewood, California, US, Dec 5, 2025. Photo: Reuters
You’ve probably seen them hanging off a handbag, as the star of an influencer’s unboxing or on PopMart’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float. Created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, a Labubu – the No. 3 search of the year – looks like a plush, compact Furby meets a “Where The Wild Things Are creature.
The dolls’ prominence comes a decade after their debut in Lung’s children’s books, The Monsters, in which they’re “zestful, curious elves about the size of your average house cat, who love a bit of harmless mischief.”
That mischief extends to the “blind boxes” in which Labubus are now sold, as proud owners don’t know which of the 300 options they’ll receive.
A man looks is silhouetted next to PopMart Labubu The Monsters dolls on display at a souvenir shop at the historical Shichahai district in Beijing, China, Nov 13, 2025. Photo: Reuters
If you’re old enough to read this, you may have been among those asking, “What does [insert chosen slang term] mean?” when it comes to, well, a lot, especially “6-7.”
New York’s top-trending slang search comes with a so-so hand motion, when the numbers are said or shown next to each other, according to some youngins who tried explaining it to Kelly Ripa and Mark Conseulos.
“But to be clear, it has no meaning at all?” Ripa asked, which was affirmed by adolescent “Live” audience members. “Basically it has no meaning at all.”
Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year, “6-7” – pronounced like six-seven, rather than sixty-seven – is Gen Alpha’s “viral, ambiguous” and “largely nonsensical” term, though it can sometimes connote “so-so” or “maybe this, maybe that.” – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service
