The people and brands who made a mark in 2025 weren’t just riding viral moments – they fundamentally shifted how we talk, think and behave.
This series celebrates who our experts believe shaped culture in 2025. Some will have been capturing attention for the first time – some may have broken through before and are breaking through again. Because cultural endurance isn’t just about arrival. It’s about reinvention, resilience and knowing when to make your move.
Today our Brand Futures Director, Nat Moores, picks a singer who speaks honestly about what it means to be a woman navigating today’s world.
Lily Allen
The Breakthrough Moment
Lily Allen releases the divorce album to end all divorce albums and connects with anyone who has ever had their heart broken (even if they’d never listened to her music before).
The Cultural Shift
Who says culture belongs to the young? Allen proved that Millennial voices can reinvent themselves without abandoning what made them relevant in the first place.
Why Lily Allen Matters
Redefining authenticity for the digital age: Her unapologetically honest approach to discussing her private life works precisely because it doubles as celebrity gossip fodder. She’s turned vulnerability into a sustainable content model, not a one-off confessional.
Challenging generational narratives: Through her ‘Miss Me?’ podcast with Miquita Oliver, Allen speaks to honest female friendships, modern-day relationships, dating and what it means to be a woman navigating today’s world. She’s giving voice to elder millennials who remember her 00s anthems, whilst staying fiercely relevant to younger audiences too.
Cultural timing as strategy: Allen proved she understands cultural momentum when she timed her new album, ‘West End Girl’, to coincide with David Harbour’s press tour for season five of Stranger Things. The show has massive cultural impact. She leveraged it. That’s not luck – it’s strategic cultural literacy.
The Endurance Play
Allen isn’t chasing relevance through reinvention – she’s evolving her existing cultural capital. That’s the difference between a comeback and cultural endurance.
Image credit: Robin Dua via Flickr