The most unforgettable pop culture moments of 2022

The face-offs both fictional and real, celebrity deaths, interviews, and other entertainment stories that dominated headlines this year.

From Will Smith vs Chris Rock slap, Tanzania Music Awards, Binti, to Kanye West, Ramadhani Brothers and more, we’re looking back at some of the biggest pop culture moments of 2022.

Oh, slap!

When everyone said the Academy should punch-up the Oscars ceremony, we’re certain they didn’t mean like this. After 2022 ceremony presenter Chris Rock made a joke on stage about the shaved head of Jada Pinkett Smith — who has alopecia — the actress’ husband, Will Smith, approached the comedian and slapped him across the face. Audiences watching in the room and at home appeared equally stunned, and headlines buzzed for nearly a month after the incident, as the Academy banned the King Richard actor and eventual winner that night from AMPAS events for the next decade — arguably giving those involved a bigger presence in the press than an Oscar victory could’ve.

Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard

Johnny Depp’s defamation trial against ex-wife Amber Heard began in April in Virginia, ushering in six weeks of live-streamed testimony and media mayhem. Depp sued Heard for $50 million over her 2018 Washington Post op-ed detailing her experiences as a domestic violence survivor. She didn’t mention Depp by name, but his lawyers argued that the references to him — and her previous public abuse allegations — were clear, claiming it damaged his reputation and career. Both parties recounted gut-wrenching accusations of physical, verbal, and sexual assault, as well as some bizarre anecdotes that involved feces and a severed fingertip. A jury ruled in Depp’s favour in June, awarding him $15 million in damages.

Tanzanian films on Netflix and Oscar

Binti became the first Swahili movie streamed on Netflix on January 7, 2022. The film talks about four Tanzanian women, Tumaini, Angel, Stella and Rose - who are unknowingly connected through their ability to persevere life’s hardships into a womanhood.

Apart from Binti, Bahasha was also find its way to the streaming service. The film talks about ex-footballer ‘Kitasa’ whose struggle to deals with corruption action and trying to redeem himself from the bad behavior to his communities.

On October 14, 2022 another Swahili film known as Nyara the Kidnapping (2020) enter the Netflix network. Its talk about the wealthy businessman who has only 24 hours to pay the ransom and rescue his daughter after an infamous gang kidnaps her.

Amil Shivji’s romantic drama ‘Vuta N’kuvute’, Swahili for tug of war became Tanzania’s official entry for The Oscar 2023 under the ‘Best International Feature Film’ category.

Singeli artiste on Dubai Expo stage

Singeli music has successfully flown the flag internationally.

In March, Sholo Mwamba performanced at the Dubai Expo 2020, setting the record as the first Singeli artiste to perform internationally.

Apart from Sholo Mwamba, other artistes who were there at the Expo were Saraphina and Mrisho Mpoto.

Billboard Afrobeats Songs chart

On March 29, 2022 Billboard teamed up with Afro Nation to launch the new United States Afrobeats songs chart which goes live for the first time since it was introduced.

Songs such as Essence (Wizkid ft Tems), Peru (Fireboy DML ft Ed Sheeran), Love Nwantiti (Ckay), Last last (Burna Boy), Finesse (Pheelz and Buju), Jerusalama (Master KG featuring Burna Boy and Nomcebo Zikode), Attention (Omah Lay and Justin Bieber), Kwaku the Traveler (Black Sherif) and more.

Reviving of Tanzania Music Awards (TMA)

In January, the National Arts Council of Tanzania announced the returned of TMA after seven years of hiatus.

Previous known as the ‘Kilimanjaro Music Awards’ were held on Saturday, April 2, 2022.

Royalties music artistes

In January, 2022 the government of Tanzania through its Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA), announced a collection of over Sh312 million royalties.

Tanzanian artistes received their earnings for the first time in 2022. With Ali Kiba earning the most, about Sh7.5m.

The return of Fiesta Music fest

After a two-year hiatus due to Covid-19 outbreak, the summer extravaganza returned.

Held in Rukwa for its opening day to closing the curtains at Leaders club in Dar es Salaam.

Kili Paul at the ‘Bigg Boss 16’

The Maasai TikToker, Kili Paul was invited to India for Salman Khan’s reality show ‘Bigg Boss 16’.

Indian lip-syncing Kili Paul got a chance to perform the hook-step with famous Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit Nene and others.

Ramadhani brothers at Australia got talent

On October 18, this year, the Tanzanian flag flew high as two acrobats, Fadhili Rashidi and Ibrahim Mwaimise, collectively known as The Ramadhan Brothers won a golden buzzer at the Australian reality television talent show, ‘Australia’s Got Talent’ in Sydney.

Tanzanian crowned 2022 Miss Deaf

On October 29, 2022 Hadija Kanyama emerged the winner of Miss Deaf World contest.

Other countries participated including Australia, Botswana, India, Kenya, Uganda, Korea, USA, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, South Sudan, Belgium, Tunisia, England, Germany, Vietnam and Zimbabwe.

Rayvanny on International awards

Rayvanny becomes the first artiste from East Africa to bag the award, beating established names.

Next Level Music CEO made history again by becoming the first African artiste to enter one of Spanish Awards nomination list for his song Mama Tetema

Death of a legend

The news of Bob Saget’s death sent a shockwave through Hollywood and with fans. The comedian, 65, died in his sleep from head trauma in a Florida hotel after performing there the night before.

It’s continued throughout 2022 with the deaths of legends including Bongo movie actress Bi Sonia, Sidney Poitier, Naomi Judd, Taylor Hawkins, Ray Liotta and Migos member, Takeoff.

TakeOff was shot in November at a party in Huston.

Nandy, Billnass and the Bennifer 2.0

A wise woman once asked, “Do you believe in life after love?” Though that dance classic predates their coupling by a few years, Cher might as well have been talking about Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez and the African Princess and her husband Billnass

Despite some challenges they encountered during their dating days, Billnass and Nandy made fans rethinking to reconnect with their exes.

The two met during a music tour and dated for a few months then broke up with each moving on. Until a few months after Nandy’s fiancé Ruge Mutahaba’s passing. The two rekindled their love and got engaged in April 10, 2020 during the ‘HOMA’ music show. They tied knots this year in July.

On the other hand, the entity known as Bennifer decided to give it another go some 20 years after their break up. Like many a couple during the pandemic, Affleck and Lopez rekindled their romance in May 2021, following respective break-ups from Ana de Armas and Alex Rodriguez and announced their engagement this April. News of the Bennaisance immediately set nostalgic minds racing with hopes that those two crazy kids could finally make it work this time.

Black Panther without Chadwick Boseman

After the death of Chadwick Boseman in August 2020, fans have been looking at how the sequel of the film would be like.

Black Panther Wakanda Forever has been a huge box office success since it was released on November 11, 2022

The opening weekend, the film scored number one spot at the box office chart, meeting expectations with a $181 million domestic debut and earning over $331 million worldwide, garnering the second-largest opening weekend of 2022.

Apart from that, the film set the record of the highest grossing superhero film debut ever for the month of November.

Multiversal madness

Alternate realities and parallel worlds have long been a cinematic staple. But in 2022, the multiverse officially entered the mainstream, with the films Spider-Man: No Way Home, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Another thing that all three films have in common? Insanely long titles.

Kanye shows his true colours

Kanye West is no stranger to controversy. His most beloved album, 2010’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, was itself an artistic act of redemption after the rapper had disgraced himself by accosting Taylor Swift at the VMAs. But this year, it felt like West finally dug a hole too deep even for him to climb out of — first with his aggressive social media harassment of both ex-wife Kim Kardashian and her temporary beau Pete Davidson, then by fully swerving into anti-Semitic rhetoric and going so far as to publicly praise Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Some lines can’t be crossed, and some outrages can’t be redeemed with a good album.

Jenna Ortega dance scene from Wednesday

Netflix’s new Wednesday series has been a huge success.

Directed by ghoulish icon Tim Burton, the series follows Wednesday of the Addams Family as starts at a new boarding school.

Wednesday smashed Netflix’s record for the most hours viewed in a week for an English-language series, which was last set just months before by Stranger Things. And it’s no wonder, thanks to viral scenes like this.

Fans have been fawning over Jenna Ortega’s portrayal of Wednesday, particularly in one dance scene at her school’s prom. The dance itself is a call-back to dance scenes in previous Addams Family projects, like when Wednesday taught Lurch how to do ‘The Drew’ in the 1960s sitcom adaptation.

With Wednesday perfecting the art of call-backs and cultural zeitgeist, it’s a fitting finale for our collection of pop culture moments.