When we look back at pop culture in 2015, there’s really only one word that stands out. Squad. Any time two or more famous (or famous-adjacent) people were spotted out in the wild together, the news was basically guaranteed to appear in headlines as #SquadGoals. Do two people even a squad make? That’s a question for the ages...or just the sages at Us Weekly. Of course, the idea of calling a group of friends a squad is hardly a new phenomenon. In an article called "The Summer of the #Squad" published this past July, The Atlantic points out that this meaning of the word first appeared on Urban Dictionary in 2004. Plus, the word "squad" has existed as a classification for groupings of certain types of people forever. Gangsters. Cheerleaders. Firing. Soldiers. You get the idea.
Then, along came Taylor Swift and her friendship-is-magic revolution. The singer reinvented herself for her 1989 album (which came out in October 2014) and world tour, which commenced on May 5, 2015. No longer would her narrative be one of broken hearts and besotted love stories. On her social-media channels and tour stops, Swift preached about the importance of girl power and surrounding oneself with an amazing group of friends. She practiced what she preached by welcoming members of her squad to the stage and many of her concerts.
And so the idea — and ideal — of the squad became further ingrained in our cultural consciousness. What was once referred to as a posse (trust us; we lived through the '90s) is now — well, at least at the present moment and in the immediate future — one’s squad. If you’d like to be a part of someone’s friend group, that’s what the kids would call #SquadGoals.
These are just a few crews from 2015 who gave us major #SquadGoals.
Taylor Swift's Squad
Members: Gigi Hadid, Martha Hunt, Hailee Steinfeld, Cara Delevingne, Selena Gomez, Taylor Swift, Serayah, Lily Aldridge, Karlie Kloss, Este Haim, Danielle Haim, Alana Haim, Lena Dunham, Zendaya, Jaime King, Ed Sheeran, Austin Swift
In October, Swift toldVogue Australia, “My friendship group is one of my favorite things about my life right now. Our friends really have each other's back. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve had anything strong like that in the friendship department.” Her squad expands and contracts depending on everyone’s schedules (after all, her friends do tend to be models, singers, and actresses with equally packed dance cards). Still, it does help that Swift can gather everyone together for major events like her Fourth of July bonanzas in Rhode Island and dinner parties in New York City. She even takes them on the road. Being Taylor Swift’s friend has its perks — but it might also lead to a terrifying dystopian future, according to this SNL parody.
The Under-The-Radar Squad
Members: AJ Michalka, Leighton Meester, Aly Michalka, Madeline Zima, Gina Gammell, Davida Williams
Unlike Taylor Swift’s friends and their in-your-face social-media presence, this squad manages to fly under the radar, only occasionally posting pictures of themselves together. The Michalka sisters are actresses, and once upon a time comprised the musical group 78violet. Meester is a singer and actress. Zima is an actress, and Williams is an actress and photographer.
The Up-&-Coming Fashion-Girl Squad
Members: Lily-Rose Depp, Stella Maxwell, Amelia Kring, Walker Bunting, Sam Adams, Alana Champion
Johnny Depp’s 16-year-old daughter Lily-Rose gained international attention as a style star this year. She also seems to have a rad personality and outlook on life. Case in point: Instead of a Sweet 16, she had a “Sour 16.” Her squad includes a variety of other free-spirited, non-conformist teens and twentysomethings, including model Stella Maxwell and photographer Walker Bunting.
The Comedy Squad
Members: Aziz Ansari, Amy Schumer, Jennifer Lawrence
When we found out comedy goddess Amy Schumer was kicking it with Jennifer Lawrence, we thought the epitome of #SquadGoals had been reached. They went jet-skiing together. They’re co-writing a movie in which they play sisters. Lawrence packed Schumer’s hotel room with balloons after Schumer won an Emmy. But then, the squad grew. It got even more awesomesauce (yeah, we said it). Lawrence was photographed giving Aziz Ansari a piggyback ride after Schumer hosted SNL. The trio went hiking and spent Thanksgiving together. Ansari even got his former Parks and Recreation costar Chris Pratt (who’s also costarring with Lawrence in the sci-fi romance Passengers) involved. The quartet released this video on Instagram, which the caption notes was a true team effort.
Hello, It’s This Squad
Members: Jennifer Lawrence, Adele, Emma Stone
Here’s the thing about Jennifer Lawrence: You can’t pin her down. Sure, she can hang with the comedy crowd, but she can just as easily grab a low-key dinner in NYC with Adele and Emma Stone. NBD, you know? Just two Oscar winners and an Oscar nominee grabbing some grub, probably chatting about everyday things like where to get the best pizza and why British people call French fries “chips.”
The Tot Squad
Members: Penelope Disick, North West
They’re only 3 and 2, respectively, but apparently these first cousins and tiny dancers have already given Cosmopolitan Australia #SquadGoals multiple times. We’ll admit it’s adorable when they spend time together. They always coordinate their outfits (okay, fine, their parents are probably doing the coordinating), sing and dance, celebrate each other’s birthdays, and even support their aunt Khloé when she publishes a new book.
Suicide Squad
Members: Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, Jay Hernandez, Will Smith, Jai Courtney, Joel Kinnaman, Karen Fukuhara, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adam Beach
The movie doesn’t actually come out until August 2016, but didn’t it feel like the members of DC Comics’ Suicide Squad were everywhere this year? They were all over Instagram during the film’s production. They surprised fans at Comic-Con. They posed for Empire magazine. People even dressed up like Margot Robbie’s character, Harley Quinn, for Halloween, despite never having seen her in action. By the time this movie comes out, will squads be over? Can we keep this buzzword alive through next summer?
The Honeymoon Squad
Members: Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Courteney Cox, Chelsea Handler, Jason Bateman
You have the rest of your life to take vacations as a couple. That seems to be Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux’s attitude, at least. They bucked the whole “honeymoon-for-two” trend that hasn't appeared to be going anywhere since, well, the invention of the whole “honeymoon” concept, and invited a group of their close friends to come along for their post-wedding vacation. The crew included Aniston’s maid of honor Courteney Cox, comedian Chelsea Handler, and actor Jason Bateman, so we bet a grand time was had by all in Bora Bora.
The Fluorescent-Adolescent Squad
Members: Willow Smith, Jaden Smith, Amandla Stenberg, Moisés Arias, Mecca “Crystal Mec” Kalani, Telana, Jaira Miller
These self-proclaimed indigo children think so far outside the box that they probably see the box as a circle. Or something like that. They’re creative, artistic, and work across several mediums. Their natural habitats are the water and the desert. They love crystals and stones. That doesn’t mean they shun regular milestones like prom, though. Jaden Smith went with both Amandla and Crystal Mec.
The Beckham Squad
Members: David, Victoria, Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper Beckham
Now that he’s retired, the world-famous footballer jokes that he’s become his kids' personal Uber driver. That’s not entirely true, but all the time he spends with his four offspring does make for some adorable Instagram posts. This is also the year that Brooklyn and Romeo have started to break out on their own, with Brooklyn’s own athletic career progressing and Romeo continuing to model for Burberry. It’s only a matter of time before Cruz and Harper follow in someone’s footsteps...or become rocket scientists or something.
The Supermodel Squad
Members: Gigi and Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Hailey Baldwin, Devon Windsor, Joan Smalls
In the '90s, we had Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, and Tyra Banks. Now, we have Gigi, Kendall, and their squad, whose antics we can follow on Instagram. Even they know that they’re #relationshipgoals.
The Kardashian-Jenner Squad
Members: Kris, Caitlyn, Kendall, and Kylie Jenner; Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, and Rob Kardashian
Plus the whole extended squad, including Corey Gamble; Kanye and North West; Scott, Mason, Penelope, and Reign Disick; Chrissy Teigen; Jonathan Cheban; Tyga; and Kanye's friend Sakiya Sandifer, the "mystery man" in the family Thanksgiving Instagram.
The Duff Squad
Members: Sarah Ramos, Rachel Antonoff, Mae Whitman, Miles Heizer, Alia Shawkat, Michael Angarano
They’ve starred in some of your favorite TV shows (Whitman and Shawkat were in Arrested Development; Ramos, Heizer, and Whitman were in Parenthood) and designed some of your favorite clothes. Behind the scenes, this squad contains a bunch of creative smarties. Ramos recently graduated from Columbia University, and Heizer frequently releases music on his SoundCloud page.
The SquadCoven
Members: Kim Gordon, Amy Poehler, Carrie Brownstein, Aimee Mann
“With some friends whom I love. We're all over 40. Don't call us a squad. We're a fucking coven,” Brownstein captioned this snap. Fuck, yeah.
The Anti-Squad
Members: Ryan Reynolds’ mom, if this tweet is to be believed
It’s nice to see some celebrities not getting caught up in the hype.
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