WHAT IS THE Y2K POP TREND?

You see low-rise jeans on the high street. You hear classic pop-punk tracks in pubs and coffee shops. It’s not your imagination. Y2K, the period around the turn of the millennium, is making a big comeback.

In this article, find out why this decade is so popular again. Discover nine ways to turn nostalgia into great videos and how to create a convincing noughties soundtrack for your content.

 

Why is 2000s pop culture making such a comeback?

Trends go in 20-year cycles, according to a theory called Laver’s Law. What falls out of fashion comes back in fashion again on a predictable timescale.

The Y2K revival fits this pattern perfectly. This time around though, world events may play a part. Remember we all went through the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, advanced artificial intelligence is worrying a lot of people. Many fear it could threaten their jobs, creativity, and careers for decades to come.

Compare that with the memories of the noughties that many millennials and older Gen Z people have. To them, 2000 seemed a simpler, less uncertain time where they felt more in control.

The internet hadn’t taken over everything by that point. Endless scrolls and algorithms did not dictate all of their days. You could make a mistake and social media wouldn’t remember it forever.

That sense of nostalgia is driving many influencers and vloggers to reminisce about the decade on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Millennials and Gen Z people love how the content recalls their youth. And a new, younger audience has fallen in love with the looks, sounds, styles, and attitudes of the time.

 

Introducing your followers to the world of the naughties

Take your audience back in time to experience the 2000s. Let them discover (or remember) the fun, fashion, and freedom of life before smartphones and social media.

Here's a selection of ideas to get you started:

Fashion and beauty influencers

Cargo pants, butterfly clips, tracksuits and plaid skirts are enjoying a new wave of popularity. Try these formats to bring the early 2000s style to life:

• The 'ready for da club' video: Show viewers how to recreate the heavy eyeliner and straightened hair look before a night out in a bustling nightclub. For props, pick up band T-shirts and studded belts at Depop and makeup from Superdrug. A pop rock soundtrack will set the perfect tone for this Y2K pop style video.

• The fashion haul: Head down to your local charity shop with a budget and see what low-rise pants, animal prints and chunky loafers you can find. Make Oxfam or Save the Children your first ports of call. Film your shopping trip and try-ons to show how easy it is to recreate iconic Y2K looks on a budget. Root the video in the era with catchy 2000’s contemporary R&B music.

• The 'what's in my bag?' video: A pop R&B soundtrack would be perfect for a rummage through a Y2K bag. Pick up a CD Walkman in a charity shop, grab some Boots lip gloss, and throw in a bottle of Impulse’s “London Vibe” limited-edition perfume. Don’t forget to buy a few old teen mags of the time from eBay with the hottest Y2K pop artists on the cover for the full look.

 

Lifestyle vloggers

Show today's youth how there was a time Facebook and Instagram didn't exist and just what you did at the time. Bring a smile to the face of 40-something users with a reminder of their teens and early twenties.

• The room tour: Show off the home furnishing trends of the time and your uncanny ability to pick out the boldest wallpapers and most iconic open shelving. Car boot sales are great for inflatable chairs, lava lamps, beaded curtains and other favourites from the era. Take viewers back with our alternative 2000s rock soundtrack.

• The 'day in the life' vlog: Remind viewers of an era in which you rented DVDs, called takeaways for deliveries and waited a day to download a Y2K pop song on LimeWire.

• The challenge video: Swap your smartphone for a brick phone and try to last the whole week. Double the pain with a Windows XP PC and a dial-up connection. Pair up with an old school 2000s dubstep tracklist to bring humour and energy to the throwback.

 

For entertainment creators

Netflix, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, iPlayer: we now watch TVs and films when and where we want. It was very different 20 years ago, as was the entertainment we consumed. Here are three great Y2K entertainment content ideas:

• TV yesterday and today: How would today's audiences react to the baiting on Jeremy Kyle? Examine how today's young people see programmes like Big Brother, Little Britain and Brass Eye. The shows are on YouTube, so fair use clips are easy to find. A neutral chill out track selection is perfect for a commentary video like this.
• Video games yesterday and today: Put today's top gamers to their test by getting them to play on PS2 and PS3 titles, not PS5. Or take your viewers through a rundown on how gameplay on a title like Gran Turismo differs between the PS3 and PS5. Pick up games and consoles at outlets like CEX. Retro gaming is big on YouTube and a deep house soundtrack would be the perfect backing.
• DJing now and then: DJing is a skill, but many older DJs argue that vinyl turntables were harder to master than today’s digital consoles. Put an old skool DJ to the test with new equipment and a Gen Y DJ on vinyl decks and see how they get on. Classic electro house anthems would be the perfect backing track to capture that 2000s superclub vibe.

 

Making your Y2K content authentic for every generation

Nostalgia is a great draw for many YouTube channels. Before you create noughties content, think about what you truly love from that decade. Let that passion be the focus of your videos.
If you loved the fashion, stick with that. If the music of the era fascinates you, become an expert on it and share your insights with your audience. Explain what made Y2K pop icons special to you. That kind of authenticity always connects.

Capture the feeling of the noughties in the commentary, editing and music of your videos. Remember that, for many, this was a time of fun and optimism before they left childhood behind for good and everything became so online. Tap into that and let your audience feel it too.

 

The right soundtrack for your Y2K videos with Universal Music for Creators

Immerse your audience in Y2K nostalgia with music of the time. Universal Music for Creators has a range of tracks from the 2000s so you can use to bring authenticity, energy, and atmosphere to your throwback content.

Access 50,000+ better than royalty-free tracks and 200,000+ SFX from the world’s finest artists. Membership starts from just $10.99 per month. Click to subscribe now.