In weather terminology, they call it “rapid intensification” — the process by which a storm strengthens dramatically in a short period.

In pop culture terminology, they call it Taylor Swift.

It’s not like Swift didn’t have big — huge! — years before this. But 2023? This was ridiculous.

From the blockbuster Eras Tour that conquered the United States before a planet- vanquishing international leg, to the rerelease of more albums on the road to reclaiming her catalog, to the record-smashing concert film, to becoming a billionaire — and yeah, that thing with “the guy on the Chiefs” — it all made for a year you could reasonably call “2023 (Taylor’s Version).”

There were, of course, non- Swiftian developments in pop culture. Beyoncé, ever the superstar, had a huge tour herself, and ruled the box office with “Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.” Speaking of renaissance, look no further than Barbie — technically age 64 but now living her most fantastic life in plastic, thanks to Greta Gerwig’s record- shattering movie “Barbie.” Through mere coincidence of timing, Gerwig’s candy- colored creation paired with “Oppenheimer” to fuel “Barbenheimer,” a phenomenon that singlehandedly revitalized the multiplex.

There were comebacks, as always. The Rolling Stones never left, surely, but produced their best new music in decades. The Beatles released a new song. And on TV, Samantha even made it back — for a minute — to the “Sex and the City” franchise.

The following is our very selective (and very Swift-centric) stroll down pop culture memory lane.

January

Comic Jerrod Carmichael deftly navigates Golden Globe host duties, quipping, “I’m here because I’m Black” — a nod to the diversity scandal plaguing the awards. Prince Harry’s “Spare” sells more than 3.2 million copies in one week. In Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Session #53,” she bitingly sings of her ex, former soccer star Gerard Piqué. U.S. senators grill Ticketmaster about its mega-breakdown selling Swift tickets.

February

At the Super Bowl, Rihanna floats above the 50-yard line in a bright red jumpsuit … and reveals a baby bump! Pamela Anderson’s memoir “Love, Pamela” drops, joining a Netflix documentary. At the Grammys, it’s a decidedly mixed bag for Beyoncé, who breaks the record for career wins, but is shut out in the top categories. Harry Styles bests her for album of the year.

March

It’s Oscar time! And nobody gets slapped! “Everything Everywhere All at Once” lives up to its title, sweeping nearly every major category. Some may have skipped the Oscars entirely — namely Pedro Pascal fans — catching instead the finale of “The Last of Us.” Longtime Bravolebrities Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix break up when it’s revealed Sandoval has been having an affair with their “Vanderpump Rules” co-star, a development soon dubbed “Scandoval.” In a Utah courtroom, Gwyneth Paltrow wins a battle over a ski collision, but also nabs the “quiet luxury” fashion award. And the Eras era begins: Swift opens her tour in Arizona.

APRIL

TV sleeper hit “Jury Duty” sticks the landing. Somehow, regular guy Ronald Gladden never figured out that everyone else doing jury duty was an actor, including James Marsden. Neither confirms it, but reports say Swift and longtime boyfriend Joe Alwyn have split.

May

Most Met Gala guests come in time for cocktails; Rihanna shows up closer to dessert, but makes it worth the wait. This is the year Jared Leto dons a giant cat suit, but still the animal world is most memorably represented by … a cockroach! A real one, who walks the carpet and entertains media waiting for Rihanna, until, squish! Bye, cockroach — and bye also to the Roy kids, aka Kendall, Roman and Shiv, who self-destruct gloriously in the final episodes of “Succession.” Leave it to entertainment industry writers, now striking, to have the cleverest signs: “HBO Max Pays HBO Minimum,” reads one. They will remain on strike for nearly 150 days, joined by the actors in July.

June

Heard of the Grimace Shake at McDonald’s? It’s all the rage on TikTok. A new group of luminaries is invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, among them David Byrne, Austin Butler, Keke Palmer, Ke Huy Quan — and yes, Swift.

July

Take one famous doll with a complicated history. Add a talent like Gerwig, get Margot Robbie to star, bring in Ryan Gosling to chew the scenery, and you have “Barbie,” the biggest movie of 2023. Now stir in Christopher Nolan’s superb “Oppenheimer,” and the rest is box-office history. Elon Musk drops a longtime logo and decrees Twitter will henceforth be called “X.” Swift now has more No. 1 albums than any woman, eclipsing Barbra Streisand.

August

Argentine soccer god Lionel Messi, in his first month with Inter Miami, thrills fans and gives a jolt of adrenaline to soccer in the United States. Kim Cattrall makes a very quick return to the “Sex and the City” reboot.

September

Recent celebrity splits include Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez, Britney Spears and Sam Asghari, and Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello, among others. But hey, someone’s looking for love: Widower Gerry Turner, “The Golden Bachelor,” begins his search on ABC. Also, jersey sales rapidly intensify for Travis Kelce, tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, by some 400%. In unrelated news, Swift attends a Chiefs game.

October

It’s a good month to be 80! Martin Scorsese becomes a TikTok star via daughter Francesca’s silly videos and presents one of his most ambitious films yet, “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Also 80, Mick Jagger joins slightly younger Rolling Stones bandmates Keith Richards (79) and Ronnie Wood (76) in producing the new album “Hackney Diamonds.” In her memoir, Spears details her heartbreaks, struggles, relationships and nearly 14-year conservatorship. Swift reaches billionaire status and throws a Hollywood premiere for her “Eras Tour” movie, which will become the most successful concert film of all time.

November

The entertainment industry’s writers and actors are thankfully back, back to where they once belonged. Which brings us to the Beatles: No, they aren’t getting back together. But six decades after Beatlemania ruled, a new tune, “Now And Then,” is released, thanks to artificial intelligence. Cast members of “Friends” gather to mourn co-star Matthew Perry at his funeral.

December

Spotify announces 2023’s most streamed artist: It’s Swift, dethroning Bad Bunny. Beyoncé conquers the box office on opening weekend with her “Renaissance” film. Swift stares at us from magazine covers as Time’s person of the year, in a year her fame achieved something akin to “nuclear fusion.” How long can a storm rapidly intensify? Fact is, though, Swift seems to always be rewriting the rules.