Throwing it Back to the Past Decade

Words by Jaelyn Yiew Photos by Daphne Wong Xin Hui

Remember the times when people would randomly drop and do the Harlem Shake? Or how about those days when Facebook profile pictures had sappy quotes and moustache accessories and somehow they just all made sense? Aah, those were the days where the cringeworthy wasn’t only reserved for Tiktokers (no shade though). Truth be told, the decade of the 2010s produced some of the biggest fads, and I’m here to take you back to those nostalgic days and get you reminiscing about the good ol’ times.

FUNK IT UP!

From the revolution of pop music and hip-hop to the golden era of Korean pop (K-pop) dominance, the music industry has seen many ups and downs over the years. Here are some of the top songs that have defined the decade and shaped our culture, admittedly for better or for worse.

Baby - Justin Bieber

I’m sure most of us were once crazy about the Biebs with his signature purple hoodie and iconic hair flip. Topping the charts in 2010 and later again in 2012 under the Hot 100, ‘Baby’ thrived. It was played on every radio station and chimed on most of our mobile phones. This allowed Justin Bieber to be the second person to surpass 10 million followers during Twitter’s early days. And I was like Baby, baby, baby, oh — definitely one of the biggest earworms in my head to this day.

Friday - Rebecca Black

‘It’s Friday, Friday. Gotta get down on Friday!’ Remember how much hate this young teen got just for uploading this harmless music video for fun? With 1.17 million views, this song was proof of how fast social media was rising at the time, and how much hate speech the platform incurred compared to today’s self-aware ‘woke culture’. It showed that something doesn’t necessarily have to be good to get a reaction. Nonetheless you have to admit it was a catchy song even with its ridiculous lyrics on eating cereal and deciding which seat she should take.

Gangnam Style - Psy

‘Oh-Oh-Oh-Oh- Oppa Gangnam Style!’ Was this song stuck in your head on a loop like it was for me? Before the debut of global K-pop sensations, BTS and Twice, kickstarting the k-pop phenomenon was Psy with his 2.1 billion views on Youtube. It garnered attention worldwide and was many Westerners’ first exposure to K-pop. It was even sung as a cover on the popular TV show, Glee! Personally, I found it to be one of the series’ worst performances (Glee fans back me up!), and even the show’s creator himself, Ryan Murphy, agrees. But hey, there’s never any harm in having a little fun right?

PASSION FOR FASHION

The Hipster Aesthetic

I don’t know about you but the Tumblr hipster aesthetic was a big thing back in my secondary school days. Unfortunately, that included nerdy oversized glasses, moustache and peace sign accessories, fringe shoulder bags, flannel shirts and beanies — yes, in this heat! Although some of these items made it through the decade, I’m afraid our past moustache obsession would have to remain in the dust.

Snapback Caps

Making a comeback from the 80’s and 90’s, snapback caps became increasingly more popular in the last decade due to rap artists, sports stars and other celebrities sporting the look in the spotlight. With its retro design, large bold letters and logos of favorite NBA teams, the snapback came in various colors and was a popular ‘must-have’ amongst the guys. I may be exaggerating but I honestly don’t remember seeing my male friends’ bare heads outside of school back in those days!

Mom Jeans

Unlike the popular ‘00s trend of skin tight, low-rise denim, the 2010s rocked mom jeans — after all, it is the high-waisted, straight legged and baggier cousin of comfort. Resurrected from the ‘80s, mom jeans used to be ‘uncool’ due to its name and the stereotype it gave moms and motherhood. It used to be perceived as frumpy and old-fashioned, fitting only pregnant women. This gave the impression that once a mom, you’re no longer considered a woman. However, as our society moved towards female empowerment with the support of the #MeToo movement, the fashion industry saw a shift towards unisex clothing and styles. Thus, reviving mom jeans and my love for comfort.

Pinterest, Levis

BON APPETIT!

Rainbow Everything

Eye-pleasing, colourful and photogenic, rainbow food were all the rage in the past decade. From bagels to lattes and sweet looking pastries, this colorful unnatural mess was plastered all over our social media feeds and even got me craving for rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches till this day. However, like most trends, the rainbow food trend, too, took things too far. From this came the birth of abominations such as rainbow pasta, sushi and even bread! Maybe we should stick to tasting the rainbow through Skittles the old fashioned way?

Activated Charcoal

When the rainbow trend came to a standstill, activated charcoal, it’s very opposite, replaced it in a flash. From it came an influx of black macarons, soft serve ice cream, waffles and even cocktails! Although aesthetically pleasing and unusual, activated charcoal isn’t exactly safe for consumption despite its claims to detox your body from toxins. In truth, it actually binds to things in your stomach and small intestine, sucking nutrients out of your body instead. Hence, proving to be ineffective and potentially harmful, making it to the list of things you can see but shouldn’t touch.

Matcha

Matcha has been around for centuries, but its popularity only skyrocketed in 2016 when health and wellness became increasingly more important, jump-starting my favorite food trend. From candy to baked goods and lattes, matcha was known for its health benefits such as being a better source of energy compared to coffee, and its weight loss and skin benefits. Given its years of history, it’s safe to say that matcha is not just a passing craze, but is here to stay.

ALL FOR THE ‘GRAM

The Harlem Shake

Were you one of those public nuisances who would film yourselves dancing wildly to the Harlem Shake with your friends while flailing your arms to the beat? It’s okay, I was guilty of it too (oops). Back in 2013, this trend went massively viral online, becoming an Internet meme sensation. Fun fact: Did you know that we were doing it all wrong? The real Harlem Shake was a much more raw, technical and fluid dance to express freedom. It was popularized in the hip-hop world by a four-man dance crew called Crazy Boyz before the Internet blew it out of proportion. Although there were some Harlem residents who laughed along, others who saw dancing as an art deemed it as disrespectful, offensive and mocking.

The Ice Bucket Challenge

Back in 2014, most social media platforms were bombarded with people filming themselves dumping a bucket full of freezing cold water over their heads, and tagging their friends to do the same within 24 hours. The trend was used to raise awareness of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) — also known as Lou Geghrig’s disease — and encourage donations to fund research and treatment development. Amazingly, this initiative ended up raising more than $115 million for the ALS Association! Although some may criticise the trend and say it encourages passive activism and image boosters with people jumping onto the latest fad, I personally think there’s no harm in having a bit of fun. The Ice Bucket Challenge was a creative way to raise awareness and donations for a worthy cause. As long as participants understood that at the end of the day, isn’t that what counts? Thoughts?

The Mannequin Challenge

Lately, the days when we’d strike crazy poses and freeze up like mannequins seem so far away. Now those were fun times. Schools, work places, celebrities, and local groups like our country’s very own national bowlers and Singapore Airlines even hopped in on the trend! One of the more insane mannequin challenges I’ve seen were of gymnasts holding a handstand split upside down while balancing on a beam! If that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.

Looking back, the world definitely saw some crazy things in the past decade. Although much has changed since then, it’s always good to remember the good old times, where we came from, and how much we’ve grown as an individual and as a society. I know I’ve definitely changed since then, how about you?