The early 00s was a truly magnificent time for culture. Baggy jeans were an acceptable fashion choice for men and women, digital platforms like MySpace and LiveJournal were on the rise, and our attention spans hadn’t yet been ruined with crippling screen addictions.
Unless you have been living under a rock, you will have noticed the rise of 90s and early 00s fashion trends. Bucket hats, oversized jeans, and baggy tee’s to name a few. At first, I attributed the trend to the natural cycles of fashion. As we all know: everything comes back in style eventually.
After inspecting the trends a little more closely it became apparent that we aren’t just nostalgic for Y2K fashion. We are bringing everything back — not just in a gestural way — in a real, tangible, let’s revive this cultural relic kind of way. Sex and the City is getting a reboot. Bennifer has been revived! Travis Barker. It all came into sharp focus for me when I read a Tweet that claimed our rekindled love for everything new millennium is a response to the trauma of Covid. Looking back on this time with rose-tinted glasses can give a false impression that things were easier back then.
Interestingly, 2004 seems to be the year that personified Y2K culture. A huge amount of pop and RnB music that defined this period of time was released in 2004. It was the best year for music. One cannot reminisce about the early 00s without thinking of a handful of songs that were released in 2004. It was the year that came to define the decade that followed. Every type of genre seemed to be represented, too. Punk pop, rock, rap, dance. It all worked together in a seamless, MTV Awards kinda way.
2004 was also the year that Apple released their most iconic iPod: the mini. The mini was cute and came in a range of expressive colours perfectly marketed towards teenagers and children. My iPod mini was green and fit perfectly in my knock-off Chanel purse along with a pre-paid credit flip-phone, Lancôme juicy lip gloss, and bug-eye sunglasses. I’d like to say it was a simpler time but to be honest, I still have a pre-paid credit phone and I always carry a Burt’s Bee’s lip balm with me, so I guess some things don’t change. ▪️
Anthems of 2004 that are still iconic in 2021
Find the list on Spotify.
This list was curated by Flora Ofori of foodntings
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