The Resurrection of Y2K Pop and the Girlies Behind It
By Kelli Torres, Millennium Pop Connoisseur
Pop girlies are SO back! Yes, I mean it. We have entered a new era of pop princesses, who are paying homage to our favorite pop queens from the early 2000s. I’m talking Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Nelly Furtado, Kelly Clarkson, and Avril Lavigne. Women whose art and music created the blueprint for what it means to be a pop icon: catchy hooks, theatrical visuals, choreo that lives rent-free in our minds, and the perfect mix of vulnerability and power.
Today’s new class of pop princesses are tapping into that nostalgia and bringing back the drama, the spectacle, and the sheer joy of pop music. This isn’t just a revival, it’s a full-blown rebirth.
So with that being said, dust off your highest platform shoes, put on your shortest mini skirt and coolest bucket hat, and let’s take a look at some of the ladies ushering in the Y2K pop revival.
Tate McRae: Britney Spears the Second Coming?
One of today’s most notable pop artists taking part in the early 2000s pop resurgence is Tate McRae. Originally a dancer, Tate McRae was a contestant on the 13th season of So You Think You Can Dance and won third place back in 2016. By 2020, she had her first hit single as a pop artist, “You Broke Me First,” which went viral on TikTok and landed her first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry. With hits such as, “Greedy” and “It’s OK I’m OK,” many have compared McRae to Britney Spears because of her ability to blend introspective lyrics with danceable beats, a trait very reminiscent of the early 2000s pop era.
And perhaps more prominently resonant of the Y2K era are Tate McRae’s music videos. Take the music video for her song, “Exes,” for example. The overall production and execution of the video nods to classic early 2000s pop music videos like Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty”, where both videos are primarily set in a boxing ring and feature similar costumes, choreography, and lighting to bring a gritty, yet fearless tone to their visual storytelling.
Sabrina Carpenter: Bubblegum Pop Nostalgia
Of course we can’t talk about Y2K resurgence without mentioning Sabrina Carpenter, who has taken us back to the sound of sweet bubblegum pop; a stand out trait of early 2000s pop music which incorporates characteristics such as simple and catchy lyrics matched with danceable rhythms.
It’s been a year since Sabrina Carpenter took the world by storm with the pop phenomenon ‘Espresso,’ a now two-time Grammy Award-winning song that changed the trajectory of her career and became a defining moment in the Y2K resurgence. However, for anyone who was a Sabrina stan prior, the lyricism to her hit single, “Nonsense,” is filled with the same playful songwriting style that was popular back during the Y2K era.
In addition to her music, Sabrina Carpenter’s style and aesthetic also compares similarly to that of the 2000s, all the way from her high platform boots and sequins, to the carefree attitude she brings on stage.
Olivia Rodrigo: The Pop-Rock Revivalist
Along with 2000s pop music revivalists, we also have 2000s pop-rock revivalists. The first time I heard Olivia Rodrigo I was instantly taken back to the days of Avril Lavigne playing on the radio on almost every car ride I ever took as a kid. I was stoked to hear pop-rock influence the way I heard it growing up. She has reinvigorated themes in music such as teenage angst and rebellion, reintroducing and modernizing the pop-rock genre to new generations of teenage girls.
Between the edgy guitar riffs and rebellious, self sabotaging lyricism in songs like “brutal,” “get him back!,” and “bad idea right?”, Rodrigo gives major nods to Avril Lavigne’s The Best Damn Thing album (where songs like “Girlfriend,” “The Best Damn Thing,” and “Hot” were born). But Olivia isn’t just channeling pop-rock energy through her music, she’s also setting trends in Y2K fashion. From plaid mini skirts and choker necklaces to Dr. Martens boots and butterfly clips, she’s revived the very staples that once defined a generation. These iconic accessories had faded into fashion memory until her hit Driver’s License, captured the cultural pulse of Gen Z and reintroduced a whole new wave of teens to the bold, bratty, and beautifully nostalgic aesthetics of the early 2000s.
Lady Gaga: The Y2K Reinventor
The resurgence isn’t just limited to new pop acts, in fact some of our early 2000’s icons have returned with chart-topping hits that remind us of that signature sound. Most recently, Lady Gaga released her new album MAYHEM which includes the hit single, “Abracadabra,” a feel-good dynamic fusion of dance-pop, electro-pop, and dark pop that is sonically and visually reminiscent of The Fame.
Her 2025 Coachella performance stood out for its classic Gaga style, ushering in the Y2K vibes we know and love, after years of exploring pop, electronic dance, jazz and soft rock with albums like Love for Sale and Joanne. She opened her set with “Bloody Mary” and ended it with her 2009 hit, “Bad Romance”, seamlessly bridging past with present. Between the theatrics, set design, incredible costumes, and massive choreography her performance could have been a broadway show. She gave the crowd an experience of a lifetime, tapping into the very essence of the Y2K pop era.
Why the Resurgence?
The resurgence of Y2K pop speaks to a deeper societal trend of listeners searching for feel-good nostalgia that embraces the playful and creative side of music and art. Not only are new generations eating up this revival, but so are us millennials. We are clinging to the nostalgia and the feelings we used to get when the car radio was our streaming platform and MTV was the only place we could watch music videos. Pop music has always been a part of the soundtrack to our lives and it is exciting to see artists continue to break new ground while intertwining past trends.
What era in music do you think will be resurging next?
About the Author: Kelli Torres is the Office Manager at Vydia and outside of work, is a singer/songwriter known as Kelli Faith, channeling her passion for music into heartfelt creations. She further shares her love for music through her personal music blog, Myze Music. Aside from music, Kelli is a New Jersey native who is a wife and a new mother to a baby boy named Atlas.
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