DISCLAIMER! This page has become an overview of all aesthetics that are generally labelled under the Y2K umbrella, and is still under construction.
Since the advent of the internet, Y2K (short for Year 2000) has become a broad term that describes the societal zeitgeist of the world between the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Named after the Year 2000 problem, it is characterized by fashion, hardware design, music, futuristic technology, and optimism relevant to the time period. Since the Mid-Late 2010s, the group of aesthetics described as Y2K have made a resurgence in popular culture and social media.
Y2K originally referred to an aesthetic prevalent in popular culture from roughly 1997 to 2004. However, the term has massively expanded since then due to misappropriation and semantic shift, and this specific aesthetic is now retroactively known as Cybercore, Cyber Y2K, Futuristic Y2K, or Kaybug. This era's predecessors include the Memphis Design era (circa 1984-1997) and the Grunge era (c. 1991-1997) and was later succeeded by the Frutiger Aero era (circa 2004-2013).
History[]
Mainstream Adoption (1997-1998)[]
Y2K was well-established by 1997, replacing the core '90s era which had been known for its grittier aesthetics such as Grunge. The Spice Girls single "Wannabe" was released in the U.S. and gained international popularity, leading to a new era in teen pop, and in a Super Bowl ad that year the group heralded the arrival of "Generation Next". Furthermore, post-grunge started to become emblematic of popular bands such as Creed and Foo Fighters, Nu-Metal began its mainstreaming with Limp Bizkit, Deftones, and Incubus, Hanson released "Mmmbop", and more music videos by artists such Puff Daddy ("Mo Money Mo Problems"), Will Smith ("Gettin' Jiggy wit It", "Men in Black"), and the Spice Girls ("Say You'll Be There") were done in the Y2K style. In an attempt to compete with rival companies such as WCW and ECW, WWF entered the edgier "Attitude Era" and had gotten rid of its Memphis influence (from the "New Generation Era") by March 1998. South Park and King of the Hill premiered, and Cartoon Network debuted the Toonami block which mainstreamed anime in the U.S. The PS1 and N64 were now in full swing with games such as Final Fantasy VII and Goldeneye. The movies Titanic and Men in Black were released which are regarded as Y2K phenomena. Y2K fashions such as frosted tips, soul patches, and JNCOs were becoming popular.
Peak Popularity (1998-2000)[]
Between 1998 and 2000, Y2K began to experience a massive surge in popularity with phenomenon such as Pokémania, Limp Bizkit, NSYNC, TRL, The Matrix, TOM replacing Moltar on Toonami, and Britney Spears. Y2K's popularity peaked around Late-1999/Early-2000, coinciding with the turn of the millennium and apex of the Dot-com Bubble.[1]
Decline and Last Years (2000-2004)[]
The Y2K Era gradually declined afterward due to events such as the Dot-com Bubble Burst, 9/11, and the War on Terror, though residual aesthetics from the era still remained popular until roughly 2004. New aesthetics such as McBling, UrBling, Surf Crush, and 2K1 appeared at this time, initially running concurrent with Cybercore.
2004 was the last hurrah of Y2K, being the last year where the aesthetic(s) experienced any form of mainstream popularity. Cartoon Network switched from the "Powerhouse" era to "CN City" era, with most of their '90s programs ending and Toonami moving to Saturday nights. Nickelodeon went through a similar transition also, with '90s Nicktoons, the SNICK block, and pre-movie SpongeBob SquarePants ending. The final major Nu-Metal albums were released in 2004, and emo soon overtook nu-metal as the dominant "alternative" music genre; the popularization of MySpace and release of Green Day's American Idiot. McDonald's retired the McDonaldLand characters (except for Ronald McDonald) and rebranded from the "We love to see you smile" slogan to the infamous "I'm lovin' it" slogan. The first Web 2.0 conference was held in October 2004, early social media sites such as MySpace were rising in popularity. Marvel's Blade series, known for its heavy use of Y2K aesthetics and music, ended. The Rock retired from WWE, and Brock Lesnar temporarily left to join the NFL, leaving John Cena to become the face of the company.
Post-Y2K (2004-2016)[]
By 2005, the Y2K aesthetic had more or less vanished completely. After Y2K ended, it gave way to the Frutiger Aero aesthetic, which coincided with the advent of Web 2.0; Frutiger Aero is widely considered Y2K's successor aesthetic, containing various similarities but being distinct as an aesthetic in its own right.
Contemporary Use/"Neo-Y2K" (2016-present)[]
Since the Mid-Late 2010s, Y2K Era imagery and pop culture has begun to make a resurgence in various circles of the Internet, niche entertainment, and even mainstream entertainment due to the 20-year nostalgia cycle. Examples of Y2K revival songs include "1999" by Charli XCX, "2002" by Anne Marie, and "Motivation" by Normani. Evan Collins coined the term in 2016, having noticed the aesthetic had not yet been explored by the Vaporwave scene as much as earlier, more ubiquitous periods[2] (particularly '80s/Early '90s aesthetics like Memphis Design and Synthwave), and wanting to give it more exposure. Collins runs the Y2K Aesthetic Institute along with Froyo Tam. They archive works exhibiting the aesthetic, in the fields of graphic design, flyers, game console design, video game concept art, interior design, architecture, fashion, etc. and chronicle both art from the era the aesthetic was popular, as well as modern depictions of the aesthetic. Tam has also made Ferrite Core DX and other open-source typefaces inspired by Y2K typography.
Another example of modern-Y2K aesthetics being used is the indie puzzle game known as CROSSNIQ+, which utilizes the more bold, thick-line aesthetics seen in Y2K cartoon styles. Also run by Krieger and The Y2K Institute is u::r::here, a free virtual gallery dedicated to showing off Y2K art and aesthetics.
The most major community forum that is based on Y2K aesthetics is Agora Road's Macintosh Cafe, which coins itself as a "nostalgic Y2K community". There are some smaller ones, such as the Orion's Arm forum, although that one is primarily about the fictional universe itself.*The aesthetic seems to be breaking into pop culture, such as the Charli XCX and Troye Sivan song 1999.
- Music artists like DV-i, nuphory, System ST91, and Porter Robinson (under the alias of Virtual Self) produce Y2K-inspired electronic music in genres such as trance and atmospheric drum and bass. Dance System incorporates Y2K visuals and ambient into 2000's house music in his debut album Where's the party at?.
- Virtual YouTuber Yuuki Takemoto experienced the Y2K Era, and incorporates it into her videos and art.
- The artist named "Ivy Hollivana" seems to invoke a lot of the Y2K imagery in her music videos.
- In NYC there is a store called happy99 which takes inspiration from Y2K styled art, toys, fashion and even architecture. They even have promos in their twitter where one is inspired by Y2K CGI and VFX while the other video is inspired by PS1 era games like Parappa the Rapper and DDR.
- Planet 1999 released Devotion in 2020, features elements of Y2K such as Zip Drives, Furbies, Classic Mac computers and the mascot of the video evolving like a Pokémon or a corrupted version of Vibri from Vib Ribbon at the end of the album.
- Kaizo Slumber is an electronica musician, of whom he incorporated various visual key elements from this aesthetic in his clips.
- The clothing company Champion in 2022 had a shirt with a caterpillar on it that had a very Y2K style to it.
- Many LGBTQ artists during pride month like to combine the concept of pride with the Y2K aesthetic.
- The recent "Neo-Y2K" movement has modernized the Y2K aesthetic, incorporating elements of modern digital art, Glitchcore, Vaporwave, and various video game aesthetics and blending them with the color palettes and themes of Y2K. Notable artists of this aesthetic microgenre are Nuphory, TRAELMYX (also known as ::Y2KAE::, Vulpeox, and kur0myx), and SAM WAITIN. The microgenre is also much more closely related to the musical scene compared to old-school Y2K aesthetics, with all three of the aforementioned artists making some form of dance music. Additionally, the Neo-Y2K movement has connections to several other "revival" aesthetics, such as Blob World, Bubblegum Bling, and Neo-Vectorheart.
Music[]
Nu-metal and Industrial rock were closely associated with the Y2K period, particularly in the United States and France, and received particular attention after the Woodstock '99 festival. The subgenres epitomized the more masculine aesthetics of the Y2K period, combining Hip-Hop and Electronic styles with Heavy Metal. Bands such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Deftones, Filter, Incubus, Coal Chamber, American Head Charge, and Marilyn Manson epitomized this controversial strain of Y2K culture. Acts like Nine Inch Nails, Tool, and White Zombie served as progenitors of Y2K musical aesthetics in the early and middle portions of the 1990s decade. Subcultural styles like Mallgoth, Rivethead, and Cybergoth epitomized part of the Dark landscape style, a subtle offshoot of the landscape aesthetic heavily inspired by nu-metal and industrial culture in the landscape era.
One of the most well-known music associated with Y2K in the United Kingdom was big beat, a subgenre of electronic music that used "heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns". Bands and music producers such as The Prodigy, The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim, The Crystal Method, Junkie XL, and Propellerheads performed this music during the '90s. However, the genre has since become less prevalent in the mainstream, with modern examples being few and far in between.[1]
Another known genre at the time was trance, which has been more modernized and mainstream. Famous DJs from this period like Push, Ferry Corsten, Tiësto, Chicane, PPK, ATB, Signum, and Lange demonstrated well the euphoric and futuristic vibe of the Y2K aesthetic. Other tracks that became hits during the turn of the Millennium were "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay, Darude's "Sandstorm", and Rank 1's "Airwave".
Other genres used during the Y2K Era were jungle, drum n' bass, and trip-hop (like Portishead, Massive Attack or Tricky). Much like big beat (and what ultimately inspired big beat to begin with), these genres have a heavy emphasize on techno-style music, with fast beats and use of synthesizers. To this day, these genres are still used in EDM scenes all over.
Bubblegum Eurodance was also common during the Y2K Era. Aqua, the Scandinavian band responsible for the 1997 hit "Barbie Girl", is often attributed as being the most popular example of this genre, with an honorable mention going to the Italy's Eiffel 65, known for their 1998 single "Blue (Da Ba Dee)".
The Y2K aesthetic can also be seen in the music video to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Californication". The video takes the form of a fictional open-world video game that depicts each of the band members on an adventure in a California setting.
R&B and hip-hop also transitioned from the Golden Age/G-Funk/Boom Bap Era to the Jiggy/Bling/Shiny Suit 97 Era (widely known as the Hype Williams era, because of the prevalence of these visual cues in his music videos), with producers like Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, and The Neptunes. Many R&B and hip-hop artists used Y2K aesthetics in music videos, as shown were TLC in their "No Scrubs" video, Aaliyah in "Are You That Somebody", Jennifer Lopez in "If You Had My Love" or Janet Jackson in "Doesn't Really Matter".
Alternative rock and post-grunge were popular at this time and used in media such as Hollywood films and AMVs. Rap/hip-hop were similarly popular, and the popularity of it during this time influenced 2000s soundtracks later in the decade such as the ones for Homestuck and Scribblenauts and 2010s soundtracks like the OST for Persona 4: The Animation.
Y2K Aesthetics[]
Cheiron Crush[]
Cheiron Crush is a music video aesthetic that was prevalent from roughly 1997 to 2003. This video style co-existed inside the Y2K Era. In turn, the name comes from Cheiron Studios, where many pop hits of the era were produced. Camera flash shutter, chromatic aberration, and magenta are common visual features of this style.
2K1[]
2K1 is an aesthetic that was prevalent from roughly 2001 to 2004. This style bridged the gap between the Y2K and McBling eras. Raunchy "big red text" comedies, throwback jerseys, Minivan Rock, and Neptunes-type hip-hop production all surged at this time while Teen Pop was slowly being phased away. American flag imagery and "Dirty"-style fashion were a key component to this aesthetic which flourished in the post 9/11 world.
Cybercore/Y3K[]
Cybercore (also referred to as Y2K Futurism, Cyber Y2K, Y3K (in Japan), or just simply Y2K) is an aesthetic that was prevalent in popular culture from roughly 1997 to 2004, succeeding the Memphis Design and Grunge eras and overlapping with the McBling, UrBling, Surf Crush, and 2K1 aesthetics.
Cybercore has its origins in the underground UK rave scene of the Late-1980s/Early-1990s (i.e. The Prodigy, Aphex Twin, The Future Sound of London), as well as the early works of the Sheffield-based Designers Republic. The first signs of the Cybercore aesthetic going mainstream appeared around 1995 to 1996, with the release of Windows 95, the start of the Internet boom, the original PlayStation and Nintendo 64 being released with games such as Wipeout and Super Mario 64, Pokémon being released in Japan, the films Hackers, Trainspotting, and Scream being released.
Cybercore aesthetics use both graphic design and CGI. Graphic designs usually feature thick lines, bold minimalism, and heavy use of iconography. CGI art is more blobby looking, having more gradients in contrast to Metalheart or Chromecore. Common colors used in Cybercore art are, but not limited to, chrome, icy blue, ocean, bright oranges, glossy white, and black (for linework).
McBling[]
McBling is an aesthetic that was popular from roughly 2000 to 2008. overlapping with the Y2K, UrBling, Surf Crush, Frutiger Aero, 2K1, and 2K7aesthetics. It was coined through a Facebook page in 2016 made by Evan Collins of the Y2K Aesthetics Institute. It is often loosely referred to as "Y2K fashion", "Trashy Y2K", or simply "Y2K" on social media,
The McBling aesthetic began around the turn of the millennium. It was at this time that the Y2K aesthetic began to decline and the transitional 2K1 aesthetic rose due to over-saturation, the dotcom bust, paranoia in the wake of 9/11, etc. as well as a general desire by the American public to move onto something else. Some of the earliest instances of McBling aesthetic were "Bling Bling" by B.G. from 1999, "Get Low" by Lil Jon from 2002, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake's denim at the 2001 VMAs, and the music video for Madonna's 2000 song "Music". By 2003 McBling was starting to become more prominent with the start of the Iraq War, Eve and Cam'ron's white and pink outfits at the Baby Phat show that fall, and the premiere of Paris Hilton's The Simple Life.
The McBling aesthetic went into full swing around late 2004 with the release of the movie Mean Girls, the popularization of Myspace, the popularization of emo via Green Day's American Idiot, the phasing-out of 2K1, the iPod becoming a huge status symbol via Apple's silhouette ad campaign, the premieres of Laguna Beach and Lost, and Gwen Stefani starting her solo career, further hastening the end of the Y2K era. McBling was concurrent or overlapped with a number of other 2000s aesthetics, such as UrBling, Surf Crush, 2K7, and Frutiger Aero.
The McBling era ended in late 2008 with the Great Recession, Barack Obama's election, and the backlash against 2000s culture setting in. This led into the ElectroPop 08/Hipster/Jersey Shore Era, which lasted from about 2008 to 2013. On social media in recent years, the McBling aesthetic has grown in popularity, albeit it is often lumped with or mistaken for the Y2K aesthetic (i.e. on TikTok and Depop, McBling-era fashions are mistakenly referred to as "Y2K fashion"), despite there being some differences between the two. The McBling revival has also been referred to as "Bubblegum Bling".
Gen X Soft Club[]
Gen X Soft Club was a popular aesthetic in the Late-1990s to Late-2000s, branching from the popular Cybercore movement of the time. It is considered a more natural and "down-to-earth" look at futurist optimism of the time. It's characterized by urban typography, a use of plants/nature, underground metros/train stations, airports, city skylines, and a heavy use of minimalism/cool color schemes.
GXSC's popularity between the years 1996-2002 was a movement in futurist aesthetics that spawned from the economic recovery and growing technology industry of the 1990s. Some had criticisms about the overly-optimistic, "bubblegum" styles of Cybercore and McBling. A notable shift in the visual mood of these styles happened during the turn of the millennium, mainly between older members of the Millenials/Generation X groups.
GXSC uses a mix of contemporary urban minimalism and lifestyle with Cybercore elements, along with the heavy use of Lomo effect (an analog cross-processing method creating saturated, high-contrast, "soft" looking photos), bleach bypass and blur technics in photography, and natural and muted colors - especially greens, blues, beiges, tans, greys, and black. There are also elements of 1960s and 1970s nostalgia, which were most common with Generation X.
Dark Y2K/Cyber Grunge[]
[under construction]
FantasY2K[]
FantasY2K (a portmanteau of "Fantasy" and "Y2K") is an aesthetic that takes elements of Medieval Fantasy aesthetics and reinterprets them to conform to the fashion trends of the 2000s.
The balance of these clashing styles can vary from haute couture runway looks with vaguely fantastical themes, to film and TV costumes that are passable as loosely historical, but with definite anachronisms such as modern hairstyles, makeup and silhouettes.
The aesthetic takes an unapologetically kitsch approach in its disregard for historical accuracy in favor of contemporary trends. For this reason, it is often adopted with self-aware irony, particularly in satirical media such as A Knight's Tale or Ella Enchanted.
FantasY2K is very distinct from other fantasy inspired aesthetics such as Fairy Grunge and Mythpunk, due to its far brighter colour palette and its whimsical, often camp, sensibilities. Although it shares some motifs with Fairycore, it is differentiated by its more direct appropriation of Y2K aesthetics and a more significant Medieval influence.
Resources[]
External links to help get a better understanding of these aesthetics: