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Washington | Culture > Entertainment

The Resurgence of 2000s Music

Eliza Disbrow Student Contributor, University of Washington - Seattle
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Washington chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Trends are said to come back around every 20 years. Fast fashion has made it so trends are more likely to return every 10 years. And within those 10 years, micro trends lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a year flourish. We have entered the newest cycle of the 2000s. That can be seen with the return of low-rise jeans and the fact that “Y2K” is an aesthetic in and of itself. But I’m not that much of a fashionista, per se. If there’s a musical version of that term, then I’m your girl, and the resurgence of 2000s music has been more prominent for me than any runway show.

I nearly broke down in tears when Fall Out Boy announced they were releasing a new song. But it wasn’t just any new song, this one was produced by Neal Avron, the same guy who produced their three most iconic albums. Now, that’s totally my opinion, but Under the Cork Tree, Infinity on High, and Foile a Deux were practically the epitome of 2000s pop punk. I mean, people’s MySpace bios were “This ain’t a scene it’s a goddamn arms race,” and there isn’t a more 2000s sentence than that.

But it wasn’t just Fall Out Boy: My Chemical Romance, Paramore (and the one that must not be named), either dropped new singles, tour dates, or albums. I could sense people redownloading Tumblr and creating the most aggressive side bangs you’ve ever seen. 

Now, to be honest, I don’t know why trends return, but I’m cool with it, and lots of people were at the 57th Super Bowl when Rihanna took to the stage. The set list was filled with hits of the 2000s, like “Umbrella” and “Rude Boy.” She’s a certified icon of pop and owned the 2000s pop charts. Same with Queen B, aka Beyoncé, who just dropped another album that brought her to break the record of most Grammys won by an artist. And how could I not mention the way Taylor Swift rocked the internet when she began to release the “Taylor’s Version” of the album “Fearless.” I mean, how formative were those times when we’d all scream “Marry me, Juliet” with friends in the car, at dances, or in our rooms at night?

Who’s to say what fashion trends stick around? I hope that low-waisted jeans stick around, but I’ve also heard the opposition continue to praise high-waisted jeans. Hey, I love those, too. However, I think we’ll all be in agreement when I say that I hope the music of the 2000s remains, whether from the original release date or from today.

Eliza Disbrow

Washington '26

Eliza Disbrow is a graduate from the University of Washington, having majored in International Studies: European Studies with a double minor in Spanish and business. Eliza was a writer for the University of Washington chapter and is currently writing for National Her Campus, covering a variety of topics, from music, books, social media, politics, and more.

Beyond Her Campus, Eliza served as the co-president of the University of Washington Euro Club, participated in the University of Washington Women in Business club, while balancing a part-time job.

Currently, Eliza is a student at Northwestern University, pursuing a Masters of Science in Journalism at the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.

Additionally, she is perhaps the number-one-super-fan of "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver," with an uncanny ability to quote and recall episodes ranging from the most recent release or from three years ago.