This article will dive into internet trends that have ultimately "hit rewind" on back dances, songs and fashion and makeup styles to a decade ago.

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The day we hit rewind

It all started in December 2025, when a TikTok creator named @joebro909 proposed a “reset day” on New Year’s Day. Overpolished, clean-girl aesthetics could finally return to the fun, lighthearted nature of the internet back in 2016, filled with dog face filters, light-hearted memes, and bold stylistic choices. 

This dramatic and unapologetic shift was particularly appealing to Gen Zs and millennials who grew up in the 2016 era. To them, the internet will always be known as a place where everyone can be themselves without being judged or called “cringe”, a place filled with confident, bold self-expression. As beauty content creator Shubhangi puts it best, “Back then, you could be colourful and silly without being judged.” (Kalra, 2025).

Since January 10th 2026, TikTok searches for “2016” have surged by a shocking 452%, a 71% increase in "2016" playlists last year compared with 2024, combined with the 55 million videos created featuring the app’s 2016 filter (Souza, 2026), it’s more than crystal clear the impact that this simple, 5-word phrase has had on the entire internet. 

Music, media and more

The Chainsmokers, Justin Bieber, Drake, and of course, Zara Larsson, the queen of Y2K glam. These are all the names revived from a decade ago. Jazz, hip-hop, R&B and folk are so last year. Back are dance pop hits such as “One Dance”, “Roses”, and “Let Me Love You”, just to name a few. Radio 1 Anthems host Lauren Redfern explains to BBC Newsbeat, "It's just so so good, that music from that time, and so nostalgic to so many of us" (Souza, 2026).

Following Zara Larsson’s resurgence to the UK top 40 for the first time in 10 years, 2016 makeup trends also emerged. This includes everything from a matte lip to big winged eyes, pastel hair, and bold, bright eyeshadow (Bellamy, 2025).

The scientific explanation

After the pandemic started in 2019, nothing was the same. 2016 was the last era where social media wasn’t overwhelmed with AI slop, unrealistic lifestyles, promotions. The longing for pure and unfiltered joy in the 2016 media can be explained by psychologists using nostalgia.

Everyone knows nostalgia as that bittersweet feeling you get when a sensory trigger brings back memories of happier, simpler days, usually from childhood. However, what most people don’t realise is that nostalgia can also be experienced after a tough change in life, whether it be stress, loneliness or, in this case, the pandemic. According to the IBCoMagazine, “Nostalgia is more than just a mood; it functions as a biological defence mechanism that helps people feel more socially connected and optimistic about the future during times of uncertainty.” (Why 2026, 2026).

Bringing back 2016 is much more than just being stuck in the past; it’s a coping mechanism for most. The pure nostalgia of participating in dance trends, making lip syncs to old songs and slapping a colourful filter on your pictures can improve moods, help people feel grounded and decrease loneliness in dark times.