System of a Down, Evanescence, Korn, Placebo… This is what the poster for a rock festival at the beginning of the millennium could look like. However, all these groups, whose names have seemed forgotten for twenty years, will be present on May 13th at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, a huge open-air site in the city of Nevada intended for concerts.

Other emblematic groups from the same period also meet there in October (Blink-182, Green Day, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, The Offspring, Simple Plan…). Behind these two events is the world giant of the concert organization Live Nation. The box offices were sold out within a few days.

One word is circulating in the media to explain this success: Y2K, for “Year 2000”. In recent months we find it everywhere. In fashion magazines, for example, with vintage photos of Paris Hilton, Britney Spears or Jennifer Lopez, a baggy style or low-rise skinny jeans, crop top, buffalo wedge shoes are enthroned as muses. Canadian rapper Drake had celebrated his 32nd birthday in 2018 with a huge Y2K party, sucking in an audience of stars in Von Dutch or Juicy Couture outfits, brands that were huge hits at the time.

business of nostalgia

But big Y2K recycling doesn’t stop at fashion. In music, the 2000s are making a comeback with music videos, such as Infant, by Aya Nakamura, released in January, whose retro-futuristic decor is a nod to that of no scrubs, by TLC (1999), itself a reference to the master standard of Y2K aesthetics, Scream, by Janet and Michael Jackson (1995). Through unexpected cover versions, like the respective versions of Eiffel’s Eurodance hit 65 by David Guetta or Gradur, or even barbie girl by Aqua by Booba or Jul.

Also on stage, during her April concert at La Cigale, Paris, French singer Adé caused a surprise by inviting 2000s teen pop icon Lorie to sing a song from her 2002 album , doudou de a whole generation. Finally, on the pop culture side, we can see the return of the 2000s with the most famous French Youtuber, Squeezie: He challenged himself to produce a year 2000 hit based on the catchy melody from 2003 Dragostea Din Tei, by O-Zone, which became the most-streamed single in France within just 48 hours of its release. Not to mention the strong comeback of free from desire, from galaunofficial anthem of the Blues during the World Cup.

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