Pop Culture Happy Hour: 2026 Pop Culture Predictions
Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, Aisha Harris
Episode Overview
In this special year-end episode, the Pop Culture Happy Hour team reflects on their 2025 pop culture predictions—what they got right, what wildly missed the mark—and throws down their bold, cynical, and sometimes oddly specific guesses for what 2026 might bring in the tumultuous world of pop entertainment. The conversation spans AI music, the future of Drag Race, the Law and Order content machine, and the ever-elusive possibility of a fresh Christmas classic, all wrapped in the show's signature blend of wit, side-eye, and good-humored ribbing.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Reviewing 2025 Predictions
Aisha Harris’s 2025 Guesses:
- Prediction: Bob Iger would extend his Disney CEO contract (already set to expire Dec 2026), and David Zaslav (Warner Bros Discovery CEO) would be pushed out.
- Result: Neither happened. “So my predictions were completely, completely off.” (Aisha Harris, 06:09)
- Discussion: Everyone agrees media exec turnover is random and nigh impossible to forecast. Glen likens it to "brownian motion, dude. It's random atomic bombardment." (Glen Weldon, 06:39)
Glen Weldon’s 2025 Guess:
- Prediction: AI, especially generative writing (e.g., ChatGPT), would hit a roadblock due to backlash against non-human content.
- Result: No big backlash, just “entrenchment.” “I think what I was focusing on there was the technical writing aspect of AI… there wasn't [a backlash] as much as there was in 2025.” (Glen Weldon, 11:21)
- Discussion: Everyone feels a “vibe shift” (Stephen) but not a measurable turn against AI yet.
Linda Holmes’s 2025 Guess:
- Prediction: Lorne Michaels (SNL) would actively advance towards retirement.
- Result: “I neglected a very important fact, which is that we are in a historical era in which no one ever retires.” (Linda Holmes, 22:27)
Stephen Thompson’s 2025 Parade of Predictions:
- Included: “Oscars give Best Picture to Wicked,” “Grammys give Album of the Year to Billie Eilish,” “Rihanna releases new album,” “K-pop tops Hot 100,” and “Bills over Eagles in the Super Bowl.”
- Result: “I got nothing right. I was wrong about absolutely everything. Pretty wildly.” (Stephen Thompson, 25:47)
- The gang agrees: Stephen always goes for quantity, if not accuracy. “I went 0 for 1 and you went 0 for like 50. And that is awesome.” (Linda Holmes, 30:38)
2. Predictions for 2026
Aisha Harris: The Rise of AI-Generated Hits
- Prediction: “A fully AI-generated song that we are aware of, that we are aware of, will crack the Billboard Hot 100. I feel like it’s coming.” (Aisha Harris, 07:05)
- Rationale: Platforms like SUNO and Udio are already collaborating with major music groups; AI-assisted “artists” have cracked genre-specific charts.
- Memorable Quote: “What a sad day it will be. I guess I’m just. I’m all for cynical predictions these days. I’m sorry, guys.” (Aisha Harris, 08:54)
- Panel response: Linda and Stephen agree it feels inevitable, particularly given the playlist-driven nature of streaming.
Glen Weldon: RuPaul’s Drag Race Succession
- Prediction: “2026 is the year the icon, the legend known as RuPaul Charles will step down from hosting RuPaul’s Drag Race.” (Glen Weldon, 15:41)
- Rationale: RuPaul has recently stepped back from spin-offs, is splitting her persona in public appearances, and no longer dominates the Emmys. “She is smart enough to know that the Emmys don’t backtrack. Her era is over. The queen is dead. Long live the queen.” (Glen Weldon, 18:08)
- Panel reaction: They salute the boldness, note Drag Race is now “a global hyper megalo Corporation” (Glen), and discuss the potential for others to eventually take up the mantle.
Linda Holmes: Law & Order Will Do... That Story
- Prediction: The Law & Order franchise will tackle a “ripped from the headlines” take inspired by the Olivia Nuzzi/Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. alleged affair saga. “...somewhere in the Law and Order universe, there's going to be a take on political reporter Olivia Nuzzi, her alleged affair with then presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and the fallout from all of that.” (Linda Holmes, 23:09)
- Panel response: Enthusiastic agreement: “This is solid. I think this is rock solid.” (Glen Weldon, 23:43)
- History: Law & Order has previously mashed up real news stories (e.g., Paula Deen scandal), so this bold “sub prediction” is plausible.
Stephen Thompson: A Bid for Christmas Chart Immortality
- Prediction: “A major A list talent, a Taylor Swift perhaps, will attempt to shock and awe their way into the holiday music canon by releasing a new Christmas album... a new, as yet unreleased song will hit the top 10 by this time next year.” (Stephen Thompson, 28:21)
- Rationale: There’s a “void waiting to be filled” in new Christmas music; aging playlists are ripe for a modern classic from a superstar.
- Degree of difficulty: High—“this basically never comes to pass.”
- Linda’s joke: Imagines Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce duetting “Santa Baby”, with Travis providing a spoken word part (29:02).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On failed predictions:
- “It’s just random atomic bombardment. Don’t beat yourself up.” (Glen Weldon, 06:39)
- “I neglected a very important fact, which is that we are in a historical era in which no one ever retires.” (Linda Holmes, 22:27)
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On AI in music:
- “I just feel as though it's very possible... and what a sad day it will be.” (Aisha, 08:56)
- “They are not artists. I just want to say, they are not artists.” (Linda Holmes, 09:10)
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On Drag Race longevity:
- “I'm not saying this is something I want. I hope she goes on forever. But there is such a thing as tea leaves, people, and I'm out here reading them. Does that make me brave? Does that make me a hero? Up to you.” (Glen Weldon, 16:05)
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On specificity vs. probability:
- “If you want specificity and you want to be wrong, I’m your guy.” (Stephen, 29:36)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 04:34 | Review of Aisha’s 2025 predictions | | 07:02 | Aisha's 2026 AI music chart prediction | | 10:09 | Review of Glen's 2025 AI backlash prediction | | 15:41 | Glen’s 2026 RuPaul’s Drag Race prediction | | 22:22 | Review of Linda's 2025 SNL prediction | | 23:09 | Linda's 2026 Law & Order “ripped from the headlines” call | | 24:38 | Review of Stephen’s 2025 prediction assortment | | 27:26 | Stephen’s 2026 “new Christmas classic” chart prediction |
Tone & Dynamic
The conversation is sharp, self-deprecating, and full of inside jokes and affectionate teasing. Everyone leans into the cynicism of modern pop culture, but also retains a hint of hope—or at least a love of the prediction game. The hosts’ long-standing rapport lends warmth even when delivering their most aggrieved or jaded hot takes.
In Summary
The Pop Culture Happy Hour team closes 2025 with humility (nobody’s predictions aged well), a strong dose of pop-cultural pessimism (AI is coming for music; few will surrender the cultural throne willingly), and a healthy appetite for future “I told you so’s” (or at least for mercilessly grading each other’s prophetic accuracy next year). If you want to know what might (or, more likely, will not) define pop culture in 2026, these are the (self-admitted) wrong-but-bold predictions to beat.