Ever wonder what cosmic magic was simmering just before your favorite pop culture moments exploded onto the scene? As Mercury continues its dance through meticulous Capricorn, clarity meets that irresistible urge to peek behind the curtain — and lucky for us, X (yes, formerly Twitter) has become an unexpected vault of these unseen snapshots. From album covers frozen in their pre-fame glow to red carpet glam right before the chaos, and even memes fresh off the burner, these 19 before-and-after photos serve up a tantalizing glimpse of the “what was” behind the “what is.” It’s like catching the universe mid-wink before it dropped a legendary moment we thought we knew… but didn’t. Take a closer look, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll catch one of those near-misses that got swept under the stardust. LEARN MORE.

Over the last handful of days, folks on X (formerly Twitter) have been sharing photos taken right before iconic moments in pop culture that the average person definitely hasn’t seen. That is…until now. Here are 19 of the best before-and-after photos they shared, from album covers to red carpet moments, to memes:

Note: Some images have been swapped in for the purpose of photo rights.

Editor’s Note: While we can’t endorse what X has become, we can bring you the worthwhile moments that still exist there, curated and free of the surrounding chaos.

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