TikTok, the social media platform that prides itself on staying ahead of the curve in youth culture and trendsetting, is witnessing a captivating trend that stretches across music, television, and observations of British daily life. This trend is not about the latest, but rather a wave of nostalgia for the past, especially music and TV from the 2000s, which is being rediscovered and also encountered for the first time by a younger generation. The usage of the #noughtiesNostalgia hashtag has increased by 36% from the previous year, indicating a significant revival of interest in this era, including in fashion.
Notable shows such as “Sex and the City”, “Gossip Girl”, “Gilmore Girls”, and “The Vampire Diaries” have seen an enormous number of videos created about them on the platform, with “Sex and the City” alone subject to over 108,000 videos, doubling in the past year. Additionally, the UK show “Skins” has enjoyed a resurgence, with 1.6 million posts globally to date. Lily Hall from TikTok UK, Ireland, and Nordics describes the platform as witnessing a deep affection for the ’90s and 2000s across all content categories, finding solace and escape in the past. This nostalgia extends to music, with tracks from the 2000s being rediscovered.
TikTok’s “Britcore” content, reflecting British youth culture of the 2000s, has seen demand overlap with the nostalgia for the era. Creators share videos encompassing fashion, childhood toys from stores like Toys R Us, and discontinued snacks, highlighting the era’s revival. Additionally, there’s a marked increase in crime drama content, indicating a broader engagement with the nostalgia trend across various genres.
The wave of nostalgia has also led to unexpected successes, such as the rediscovery of a 64-year-old track, “Pretty Little Baby” by Connie Francis. This song, initially considered only worthy of being a B-side, has found new life on the platform and even prompted the 87-year-old Francis to join TikTok herself. This phenomenon underscores the community’s disregard for age or genre, focusing instead on creativity.
TikTok’s unique position as a hub for nostalgia serves as a testament to its users’ ability to find common ground across generations, sparking a shared appreciation for the content of the past in innovative and creative ways.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jun/04/noughties-tv-music-nostalgia-trends-tiktok
