For some, summer break is the perfect opportunity to head to the beach, go on vacation, or simply sit back and relax. For film, shows, and music fanatics, the past few months have been nothing short of exciting with new releases in every corner of the entertainment industry. 

“Barbenheimer”: A nonsensical phrase that possessed no meaning until this summer, more specifically July 21st, when the sensation of just-released movies, Barbie and Oppenheimer, struck the world. The Internet was quick to turn the twin releases into a phenomenon, as moviegoers took it upon themselves to view both films on the same day, often represented in pink or black clothing. Essentially the antithesis of each other, one film surrounds a doll, the other the creation of the atomic bomb, yet somehow brought together by Gen Z. Both movies have already been established as successes and continue to leave a legacy of records broken.

As for those who chose to stay in, bundle up, and find a good show to watch, the second season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, a teen romance series, was a common choice. Streaming on Amazon Prime, this season featured a progression of the love triangle trope, with episodes released weekly until the season finale arrived on viewers’ home screens last Friday. The show has been credited as “one of the 10 most watched seasons of any series ever on the service” (read full story here). The Summer I Turned Pretty is also notorious for its reputable soundtrack with familiar voices such as Taylor Swift appearing throughout the eight episodes of the sophomore season. Fans can expect more coming from the series with its renewal for a third season recently announced.

TV soundtracks haven’t been singer/songwriter Taylor Swift’s only appearances this summer, with her continuous “Eras Tour” taking over the country in the course of the past five months. Within this time, she announced the next installments of her re-releases project, Speak Now and 1989 (Taylor’s Version). Speak Now TV made its debut on streaming platforms on July 7th, and her dedicated and rapidly growing fanbase anticipates 1989 TV’s release on October 27th, the very same day the original album came out nine years ago. As for right now, Swift is preparing for the upcoming international dates of the tour but is also set to make a return to the U.S. next year including three nights in Miami.

This summer had something for everyone. Movie fans of all genres came together, hit shows sparked all kinds of conversations, and the world of music boomed with new releases, all creating fond memories to look back on as the autumn season approached with even more in store.