By Jordan Bickham
Staff Writer

This past year, popular artist, Justin Bieber gave his dedicated fans exactly what they had been waiting for, a new album.  Teenage girls not only got gift from Bieber in 2012, but also Taylor Swift who released her new album Red.  But the music industry was not the only thing that had many hits.  The film industry had many hits such as Pitch Perfect and classics in the making such as Lincoln.

The year 2012 had many popular hits and breakthroughs in the music and film industry.  With such a large number of great breakout artists and movies, 2013 will have a difficult time surpassing this past year.

Like any other year, 2012 included a number of previously popular artists who returned with new albums and hit tracks.  But this year also included a large number of previously underground artists getting a taste of the limelight.

Superstar icons Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift came back in 2012 quickly and with power.  Bieber released his most recent album, Believe, in June and it easily topped the charts due to his cult-like following of girls.  With popular songs such as “As Long As You Love Me” and “Boyfriend,” it was no surprise he became more and more popular throughout 2012.

Swift followed Bieber’s lead with the release of her album Red in October.  As of now, her hit song “I Knew You Were Trouble” is number one on iTunes. Maroon 5 also had a great year with the release of its new album Overexposed.  While it received mixed reviews, overall, the album was still a success.

“While I am not a fan of Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift, I absolutely love Maroon 5.   My friends and I were very excited when Overexposed finally came out,” junior Claire Brown said.  “We even have tickets for the concert this March since it is one of our favorite bands.”

While it was no surprise popular, well-known artists returned this year to their place at the top of the charts, new artists also got their moment at the top.  The alternative group The Lumineers has recently been in the limelight with its hit song “Ho Hey” and album simply titled The Lumineers.

Another group who was previously relatively unknown has become a popular group this year through a series of chart-topping songs.  Fun. became popular throughout this year with their song  “We Are Young” toward the beginning of 2012 and “Some Nights.”

Not only has 2012 seen a year of unique music, but it has seen a variety of films.  From Argo to Ted, this year was filled with numerous movies that attracted all different kinds of film fans.

The year included many hit comedies that have fans quoting them on a daily basis.  The strange comedy, Ted, received criticism at first, but is now one of the more popular movies of the year.  Pitch Perfect, another comedy, was also deemed one of the most popular, especially among teenagers.

But this year did not only include knee-slapping comedies; the year also included many serious, historical films that could be considered classics for generations to come.  The film Lincoln followed the path of Abraham Lincoln as he tried to rid the nation of slavery.  Another powerful movie this year was one of the newest films by famed director Quentin Tarantino.

“I recently saw the movie Django Unchained and thought it was a great work by Tarantino.  The film had prolific language and great cinematography,” junior Endre Wagner said.

This year was also filled with many series finales and series beginnings.  Christopher Nolan finally wrapped up the incredibly popular batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises; which concluded the series.  Also, the first installment of the popular book trilogy, The Hunger Games, finally reached the big screen with actors Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson playing the leads.

Another novel to finally get a film adaption was The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a 1999 novel by Stephen Chobsky.  The film starred many popular actors such as Emma Watson from the Harry Potter franchise and Logan Lerman from Percy Jackson.  The movie was long awaited by the novel’s dedicated fans and was immediately a hit.

Although there were many incredible films and breakout artists in the music industry, there is even more to come in 2013.  In the music industry, everyone already has their eye on the group Imagine Dragons, whose album Night Visions is ranked No. 3 on iTunes top albums.

The recent American Idol victor from this past year, Phillip Phillips, has all eyes on him due to his recent single “Home” which has quickly become a hit.  Also, R&B artist Abel Tesfaye, known by his stage name, The Weeknd, has also become popular recently with his track “Wicked Games” and his feature in the song Wiz Khalifa song “Remember You.”

This upcoming year is also supposed to be filled with many new installments to various movie series such as Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, Despicable Me 2 and even The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

“I have been anxious to see Despicable Me 2 for a while now.  The first one was a film my friends, family and I all enjoyed to watch,” junior Sydney Owens said.  “Based on how good the first one was, I am hoping the second meets my expectations.”

This year is also supposed to include many long awaited stand-alone movies such as The Great Gatsby, the newest movie adaption of the F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 novel.

Although last year was filled with many hits, there is even more to look forward to in the new year.  With numerous new movies, new songs and new artists, there is something for everyone in 2013.