Here's why everyone says it 'feels like 2016 again'

NEW YORK - Let’s get this out of the way: 2016 was 10 years ago.

What we know:

Scroll through TikTok or Instagram lately, and you’ll likely see it: grainy photo dumps, throwback captions, and one recurring sentiment — "It feels like 2016 again."

Whether the present year lives up to that hope remains to be seen. But for now, the internet is holding onto the idea that maybe, just maybe, that feeling can return.

Here's a list of notable events you might remember that happened in 2016. 

SKIP TO: Music | Movies | Fashion | Sports | Politics | Why 2016?

‘2016 trend’ explained

Online, people are reviving the idea that 2016 was a uniquely good year — a time of cultural highs, collective joy and fewer worries. The trend has sparked nostalgic posts from both millennials and Gen Z, many sharing favorite memories from that era in hopes that the current year might follow the same trajectory.

For millennials, 2016 often marked major milestones: graduating college, landing a first job, or stepping into adulthood. For Gen Z, it was prom season, peak high school years, or the last stretch before life felt complicated. Across generations, many cite the same reasons for the fond memories — the music, the movies, the sports moments, and the feeling that culture was simply fun.

A blockbuster year for music and pop culture

Music plays a major role in why 2016 is remembered so fondly. Drake released Views, his fourth studio album, blending melodic rap with Caribbean and dancehall influences. The project dominated the charts and went on to win BET’s Album of the Year along with several Billboard Music Awards, including Top Rap Album.

The Super Bowl 50 halftime show became another defining moment. Coldplay headlined, joined by Beyoncé and Bruno Mars in a massive, star-studded performance that featured hits like "Uptown Funk" and Beyoncé’s politically charged "Formation." 

Black Lives Matter messaging

Beyoncé’s appearance sparked national conversation — praised by many for its Black Lives Matter messaging and criticized by others — but it cemented the show as one of the most talked-about halftime performances of the decade.

That same year, Kendrick Lamar delivered a powerful Grammy Awards performance, using chains, prison imagery, and spoken word to confront themes of slavery, mass incarceration, and systemic racism — a moment still referenced today as one of the most impactful live performances in awards show history.

Lady Gaga also made headlines at the Oscars, performing her song "Til It Happens to You" alongside survivors of sexual assault, drawing attention to campus sexual violence and turning the Academy Awards stage into a moment of advocacy.

And for pop culture watchers, 2016 was still the era of celebrity power couples — including Kim Kardashian and Kanye West — before their highly publicized split years later.

Billboard’s 2016 Year-End Hot 100: Top 10 Songs

1. "Love Yourself" — Justin Bieber
2. "Sorry" — Justin Bieber
3. "One Dance" — Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla
4. "Work" — Rihanna featuring Drake
5. "Stressed Out" — Twenty One Pilots
6. "Panda" — Desiigner
7. "Hello" — Adele
8. "Don’t Let Me Down" — The Chainsmokers featuring Daya
9. "Can’t Stop the Feeling!" — Justin Timberlake
10. "Closer" — The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey

Top-grossing movies of 2016 (worldwide)

1. Captain America: Civil War — $1.15 billion
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story — $1.06 billion
3. Finding Dory — $1.03 billion
4. Zootopia — $1.02 billion
5. The Jungle Book — $966.6 million
6. The Secret Life of Pets — $875.7 million
7. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — $874.4 million
8. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them — $816 million
9. Deadpool — $782.6 million
10. Suicide Squad — $749.2 million

Fashion moments

• Mom jeans — High-waisted, straight-leg denim made a full comeback, officially ending the skinny-jeans era
• Chokers — From velvet to leather to diamond, the go-to accessory for pop stars and everyday outfits
• Off-the-shoulder tops — Romantic, ruffled blouses and dresses everywhere, especially at festivals
• Oversized streetwear — Baggy hoodies, boxy silhouettes, and logo-heavy looks inspired by street style
• Athleisure everywhere — Leggings, bomber jackets, and sneakers worn far beyond the gym
• Statement boots — Sock boots, thigh-highs, and chunky heels dominating closets and Instagram feeds
• Logo mania — Bold branding from Gucci, Vetements, and Supreme becoming fashion statements
• Uncurated Instagram style — Grainy outfit pics, mirror selfies, and casual looks before feeds became hyper-polished

Sports moments that felt impossible

Sports fans also remember 2016 as a year of the unbelievable.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came back from a 3–1 deficit in the NBA Finals to defeat the Golden State Warriors, securing the city’s first professional sports championship in more than 50 years — and doing so against a team that had just posted a record-breaking 73-win season.

Months later, the Chicago Cubs ended a 108-year championship drought by winning the World Series, a moment that felt surreal.

Add in the Summer Olympics, which dominated global attention and brought shared moments of excitement and national pride, and 2016 began to feel like a nonstop highlight reel.

Global moments that felt historic

Outside the U.S., the Rolling Stones made history by performing a free concert in Havana, Cuba — the first major international rock band to do so after decades during which rock music was largely banned following the Cuban Revolution. 

The concert symbolized cultural change and optimism on a global scale.

Politics in 2016

Politics also played a major role in shaping the cultural backdrop of 2016. 

The year was marked by the U.S. presidential election, in which Democrat Hillary Clinton and President Donald Trump went head to head. 

The race dominated headlines and pop culture alike, with Saturday Night Live frequently parodying the candidates — Alec Baldwin portraying Trump and Kate McKinnon playing Clinton — making the sketches some of the most-watched of the season.

The election culminated in November, when Trump won the presidency and became the 45th president of the United States, bringing a close to one of the most closely followed and widely discussed elections in recent history.

Why the nostalgia now?

In hindsight, 2016 is remembered by many as the last year before the weight of political polarization, global crises, and social upheaval fully set in. 

The current "feels like 2016" trend isn’t just about reliving old photos — it’s about longing for a time when joy felt seemingly easier.