{"id":2010,"date":"2026-04-29T15:29:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/?p=2010"},"modified":"2026-04-29T15:29:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:29:46","slug":"is-2026-the-new-2016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/?p=2010","title":{"rendered":"Is 2026 the New 2016?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve been on social media in the past three months or so, you\u2019ve probably noticed people claiming that the \u201cvibes\u201d of 2016 are going to come back in 2026. I, for one, have seen countless TikTok videos and Instagram Reels saying that 2016 is going to resurge in 2026. But what does this entail, and are these claims even true?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most of us late Gen-Zers, 2016 likely wasn\u2019t all that influential. The majority of us were under the age of 9 years old and therefore didn\u2019t fully experience this \u201cpeak\u201d era that came with the year 2016 that the early Gen-Z or late millennials may have experienced, having been in their adolescent years. Now, don\u2019t get me wrong, living in 2016 at the prime age of six years old was still incredible. I would walk home from school in my bright pink uggs, set my galaxy print backpack on the floor, go to my room to look through my older sister\u2019s deck of Pokemon cards, and play with my fidget spinners \u2014 I was truly living the life. Nevertheless, I can\u2019t help but think that this sublime way of living wasn\u2019t necessarily because of the year itself, but more so because of the few responsibilities and lack of stress that I had as a young child. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what is it that made 2016 so special? Are we romanticizing a random year just for funsies, or was 2016 really as cool as social media is portraying it as? Additionally, are we really reminiscing on the era of the mid-2010s or about a different time? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Firstly, when we are talking about the energy of 2016 making a reappearance, I think most of us are referring to the aestheticness of the year: the Starbucks rainbow frappuccinos, the Rio de Janeiro filters that were put on every social media post, Ariana Grande\u2019s famous high ponytail, tumblr girlies, the release of Stranger Things, the act of dabbing, and that one iconic photo of Zendaya\u2019s footwear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is undeniable is that 2016 was a year full of color, and it might’ve been one of the last colorful years. What I love and reminisce most about 2016 was the way everyone was so authentic to themselves, and the fact that back then, not every single thing was considered \u201ccringe.\u201d Influencers would wear full glam makeup, teenagers wore those funny mustache tank tops, and people wore high rise skinny jeans \u2014 yes, skinny<\/em> jeans<\/em> \u2014 without worrying about what Veronica<\/em> was going to say at school about them or what @user5692420713 was going to comment online. The real question is: will this vibrancy truly make a reappearance in 2026, or are we going to continue making baseless claims that don\u2019t lead to any true action or change? Be honest with yourself, do you really want 2016 to make a comeback, or do you want to just selectively choose the aspects of the year that aren\u2019t considered “embarrassing,” \u201ccringe,\u201d or \u201cunfashionable\u201d? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, I am not saying that the human \u201csheep-culture\u201d didn\u2019t exist in 2016. This aspect of human nature has always <\/em>been present. What I am arguing, however, is that even though people followed trends in 2016, they also weren\u2019t afraid to be true to themselves, act whimsically, and integrate a bit of color or fun in their lives. The trends weren\u2019t boring or basic: they were playful and exciting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What happened after 2016? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To start off, let’s explore what happened post-2016, and how we got to where we are today in terms of social media and digital culture. As we all probably know, trends are constantly fluctuating and almost always come back into fashion eventually, but in the decade that has passed since 2016, a lot<\/em> has changed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On August 2nd of 2018, the social media platform Musical.ly officially became the TikTok we all know and love today. Unlike what happened when Twitter was rebranded as X in 2023, this transformation of the Musical.ly platform drastically changed how it was used and what kinds of trends circulated on it. It wasn\u2019t just a switch of the name, it was a shift in what types of short-form media became popular, and, more significantly, how influencers changed their personal brands from somewhat authentic reflections of their character, to a perfectly curated, and far less playful, version of themselves. In 2020, during the pandemic, TikTok experienced its uprising. The \u201cHype House\u201d \u2014 consisting of Charli D\u2019amelio, Addison Rae, Avani, Bryce Hall, and others \u2014 was all the rage, and with this major trend came the popularization of dancing videos over the previous lip syncing and ridiculous skits that were more prevalent on Musical.ly and Vine. Moreover, TikTok became the ultimate parking lot for inauthenticity and exact replicas of what has already been done.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the start of TikTok in 2018, unoriginal and inauthentic trends have spread like viruses. Just to name a few, the style of videos that practically every influencer seems to have copied include the \u201cGet Ready With Me\u201d videos, the \u201cWhat I Eat in a Day,\u201d product reviews, unboxings, “The Outfit of the Day,\u201d and \u201cA Day in My Life\u201d mini vlogs. Although these videos are entertaining, they are quite formulaic and get boring after a while. More recently, the minimalistic aesthetic of a \u201cclean girl\u201d or a \u201cbeige mom\u201d has been brought into vogue. Even though these styles are visually pleasing, they also lack a lot of soul and color that previous aesthetics, such as the 2016 vibe or the 2000s Y2K consisted of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are claiming that we want to bring 2016 back, but based on many of the trends that\u2019ve been circulating in recent years, it doesn\u2019t seem like 2016 is coming back anytime soon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the major differences between the years so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first and most prominent difference that I\u2019ve noticed so far has been in relation to the general beauty standards that exist. Of course, fashion, makeup, and memes are some of the main ways we categorize changing trends, but in another, more unfortunate, sense, the human body is treated like a trend in and of itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2016, curves were the<\/em> style. BBL procedures happened as often as a tick on the clock, and the Kardashians dominated social media with their \u201cslim-thick,\u201d Brats<\/em> doll-like figures. And then came the year 2025. The use of ozempic replaced BBL\u2019s, celebrities dissolved their fillers, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo appeared in Wicked looking emaciated, and being skinny to the point of practically looking like a skeleton started to gain popularity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The standard of skinny isn\u2019t new, but it definitely is not a manifestation of the 2016 \u201cvibe\u201d. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the body type known as \u201cheroin chic\u201d was admirable. During this era, people wanted to achieve the look of androgynitity and slenderness. But then, by the mid-2010s the style of \u201cslim-thickness\u201d \u2014 consisting of a slim waist but fuller hips and a \u201chealthier\u201d image \u2014 was more desirable. Today, it seems like we have backtracked to the early 2000s in terms of body trends\/beauty standards. While every region of the world has their unique cultural perceptions of beauty, the West is celebrating thinness and somewhat glorifying being scrawny, which was definitely not<\/em> a key aspect of the 2016 beauty standards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second distinction between the two years is the style of jeans. Now, you may be thinking to yourself: \u201cWiyot, where in the world are you going with this? What do jeans<\/em> have to do with the year 2016?\u201d And to that, I\u2019d say just hear me out. Like I mentioned before, high rise skinny jeans were basically all people would wear in 2016. However, nowadays, low rise flared or baggy jeans are more in vogue, mimicking the style of jeans that Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton wore in the early 2000s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So when people say \u201c2026 feels like 2016 again,\u201d I\u2019d argue they\u2019re mostly wrong. We\u2019re not bringing back 2016: we\u2019re recycling the early 2000s but with a TikTok-era twist. Our remakes are more curated, more self\u2011aware, and less spontaneous. 2016\u2019s color and playfulness might be trending again, but the roots of those aesthetics stem from the Y2K era, not mid\u20112010s nostalgia. And, unlike the messiness and erraticness of the 2000s, our version of the Y2K style is more muted and toned-down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s almost like we\u2019re embarrassed to be whimsical even though we\u2019re claiming we want to bring the fun of the 2000s and of 2016 back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In what ways is 2026 starting to resemble 2016? In other words, what <\/strong>aren\u2019t <\/em><\/strong>we embarrassed to bring back from these earlier times? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, let\u2019s dive into the ways in which 2016 is starting to reestablish itself in 2026. Now that we\u2019ve come to an agreement on what 2016 represents \u2014 an era of authenticity and enjoyment \u2014 let\u2019s analyse the ways in which 2026 has started to become more fun and imitate these earlier years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are exactly four words that embody the reappearance of 2016 in 2026: Zara Larsson and \u201cLush Life.\u201d If I had to pinpoint where this wave of nostalgia came from, I would have to direct you towards the Swedish singer-songwriter Zara Larsson. In my opinion, she was the pioneer of the reinitiation of authenticity, whimsicality, and true fun in this digital era. Despite publishing the song \u201cLush Life\u201d in 2015, Larsson began her fifth world tour in October of 2025, bringing back the vibrancy of 2016 with her Midnight Sun <\/em>Tour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larsson\u2019s concerts are colorful, full of energetic choreography and songs that spark intense feelings of nostalgia. The repopularization of her song \u201cLush Life\u201d established a dance trend on TikTok and other social media platforms, where people would replicate the choreography in a short-form video and often post it with the Rio de Janeiro filters on. While this is just a small part of 2016, it is a significant one. This trend has allowed social media to become a little bit more colorful, giving hope that 2026 will transform into the new 2016.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Realistically speaking, I\u2019d say that so far, 2026 doesn\u2019t seem to be resembling our beloved 2016 that closely. Other than Zara Larsson and the reawakening of the Rio de Janeiro filters, I have not noticed too many shifts hinting back to this era of social media. I mean, there really is no way to completely bring back an entire year without reinventing or reshaping it in ways that fit the modern standard. Zara Larsson\u2019s \u201cLush Life\u201d or Major Lazer and M\u00f8\u2019s \u201cLean On\u201d playing on the radio does not automatically mean that we are being transported back to 2016 in some magical time machine. And even though Vogue writer Alexandre Marain wrote an article in the Vogue Magazine stating that the low-rise trend from the 2000s has \u201cnot had its last word,\u201d that doesn\u2019t mean that we\u2019re back in the 2000s using flip phones and listening to Britney Spears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personally, I think that Sof\u00eda Restifo captured this digital nostalgia perfectly in her Medium <\/em>article, where she said that 2016 is not \u201ccoming back,\u201d but instead, it is being \u201creinterpreted.\u201d After all, we\u2019re not claiming that 2026 is going to be an exact replica of 2016, but that it has the potential to become a new <\/em>2016. In order to truly tap into that nostalgia, let\u2019s embrace and focus on authenticity over perfection and performativeness in 2026 and become ourselves, unapologetically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bibliography:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(MLA citations) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABC News. \u201cIs it 2026 or 2016? Social media users turn back the clock in viral trend.\u201d YouTube<\/em>, 16 January 2026, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BBvzfjwMfFA. Accessed 2 February 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kalra, Jatan. \u201c2026 is the new 2016! Why the internet has hit rewind.\u201d Hindustan Times<\/em>, 29 December 2025, https:\/\/www.hindustantimes.com\/htcity\/leisure\/2026-is-the-new-2016-why-the-internet-has-hit-rewind-101767017910330.html#google_vignette. Accessed 11 January 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Larsson, Zara. \u201cMidnight Sun Tour.\u201d Wikipedia<\/em>, https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Midnight_Sun_Tour. Accessed 3 February 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marain, Alexandre. \u201cLow-Rise Jeans are the Absolute Must-Have for 2026.\u201d Vogue Arabia<\/em>, 25 November 2025, https:\/\/www.voguearabia.com\/article\/low-rise-jeans-must-have-2026. Accessed 3 February 2026.Restifo, Sof\u00eda. \u201cWhy does everyone want 2026 to be like 2016?\u201d Medium<\/em>, Good Rebels, 28 January 2026, https:\/\/medium.com\/@goodrebels\/by-sof%C3%ADa-restifo-81e029c8386f. Accessed 3 February 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve been on social media in the past three months or so, you\u2019ve probably noticed people claiming that the \u201cvibes\u201d of 2016…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":78,"featured_media":2015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2010","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion-pieces","category-popular-culture"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/78"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2010"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2027,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2010\/revisions\/2027"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2010"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2010"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blueandread.asbarcelona.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2010"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}