As we ring in the new year 2026, it seems that people can’t let go of past years; specifically the year 2016. So why has this year specifically gained so much traction online? For one, music seems to be a big driver of pushing out the 2016 trend. On TikTok songs like Lush Life by Zara Larson have gained major popularity. On TikTok alone the hashtag #2016 has more than 2 million posts. According to a Today article, Snapchat reports searches for 2016 filters are up by 613%. Stats from Spotify show a 71% increase in “2016” playlists last year compared with 2024, and big-hitting artists have also been making a comeback.When talking to students on campus, Sophia Graber had this to say, “Yes I would say 2016 is back in fashion and food too.” Although it has been a decade since 2016 people feel that this year symbolized an overall more carefree time period in their lives.  As time continues people seem to only remember the highlights of nostalgic times in their lives. The resurgence of 2016 is a prime example of this. The memory of wearing chokers, drinking unicorn Frappuccino and lip-syncing to musicallys overtakes any of the negative memories associated with that year.