Overview
- TikTok reports the hashtag #2016 reaching about 1.7 million posts in January with searches for “2016” up roughly 450% and interest in “2016 songs” and “2016 makeup” rising 290% and 600% from Jan. 1–11 versus the prior 11 days.
- Snapchat says searches for its “2016” lenses are up 613% year over year, the Dog Lens is up 352%, and searches of its music library for 2016 tracks have climbed 621%.
- Celebrities and influencers have amplified the trend on Instagram after it spread from TikTok, with posts and clips from figures including Charlie Puth, Khalid, Reese Witherspoon, Billie Eilish, Karlie Kloss, and Kylie Jenner.
- The nostalgia has translated into measurable music gains, with Zara Larsson’s 2016 hit “Lush Life” re‑entering the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 at No. 70, jumping to No. 46 on U.S. Spotify, and reaching No. 8 on the U.K. singles chart.
- Experts attribute the surge to longing for perceived simpler times during a period of technological and cultural anxiety, while coverage also notes 2016’s harsher realities, including Brexit, Trump’s first election victory, and multiple high‑profile deaths.