2009 was a pretty big year, with some pretty big entrances to the mainstream. Here they are...
5. Twitter - What a fantastic little website Twitter is, huh? Sure, some will argue that it does nothing but foster people's narcissistic tendencies, but Twitter became 2009's pop culture thermometer. Basically, if you were not a trending topic, no one cared about you. Twitter's ever-growing scope was proven in June when it crashed due to all the tweets about Michael Jackson's death. Hell, even Oprah had an entire show about it. Narcissistic it may be, but denying the pure power Twitter had this year is just makes you a "tweet".
4. Taylor Lautner - He is arguably the most sexually exploited male teenager in the history of film. Yet, the millions and millions of girls (and some boys, don't lie) who lined up at the movie theaters to catch a glimpse of his ripped torso probably don't care. Known as the long-haired boy in last year's Twilight, Lautner became the center of the Twilight world, being used as the primary face (and body) for New Moon's promotion and gaining a lot more storyline in the sequel. By the time November rolled around, it was clear that "Team Jacob" gained a lot more members.
3. Drake - To some, he will always be Wheelchair Jimmy from popular teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, but this year, Aubrey Graham became Drake. The TV actor turned rapper from Canada blew up this year, thanks to this spring's jam "Best I Ever Had". The song went to #2 on the Hot 100, and he became an instant hot property. The craziness is, his debut album hasn't even been released yet! Thank Me Later is due next year, and will probably be one of the biggest of the year.
2. Susan Boyle - Good things don't always come in supermodel packages. That is the lesson the world learned this year, courtesy of Scottish Britain's Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle. The middle-aged spinster wowed the planet with her audition for Simon Cowell's UK talent show, and even though she lost, she became an instant sensation. Interviews worldwide followed (including Oprah) and this past month, she released her debut album I Dreamed a Dream. Here's something for the cruel cynics to chew on: she sold over 1 million copies worldwide in her first week, and is expected to sell over 5 million by the end of the year, making her album the fastest-selling debut album in history.
1. Lady Gaga - Who else would be #1? Yes, she had a #1 hit last year with "Just Dance", but 2009 saw Gaga morph from club vixen into pop supernova. Four consecutive Top 40 radio chart-toppers, five consecutive Top 10 hits on the Hot 100, and an archive of over-the-top costumes and performances have cemented Gaga as 2009's most innovative, creative, and fearless artist. Her domination of this year was truly confirmed when Beyonce worked with her on two songs and Madonna acted with her in an SNL skit. I have no doubt that her reign will continue in 2010.
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