Tue Dec 23 21:50:00 UTC 2025: News Article:
Millennial Cringe No More: 2000s Indie Culture Makes a Comeback
A wave of nostalgia is sweeping across generations as the indie culture of the late 2000s and early 2010s, once deemed “millennial cringe” by Gen Z, is experiencing a resurgence. From music to fashion to television, elements of the era are making a comeback.
The trend is fueled by both the cyclical nature of fashion and a re-evaluation of millennial sincerity by Gen Z. Having grown up in an age of irony, younger generations are finding a renewed appreciation for the genuine emotions expressed in millennial art and culture.
Musically, “stomp clap hey” indie-folk bands like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are gaining new listeners, while artists such as Alex Warren and Benson Boone are topping charts with songs reminiscent of the era. Indie rock originators like Bloc Party and Interpol are touring again, and newer bands like Geese and Wet Leg are reviving guitar-driven sounds.
The trend extends beyond music. The show “Girls,” a defining millennial series, is experiencing a rewatch boom, and fashion is shifting away from baggy trousers towards narrower silhouettes and “indie sleaze” aesthetics, including skinny jeans and belt chains.
Experts say this rediscovery is a natural progression, with Gen Z now old enough to find nostalgia in a time period they previously mocked. Millennials are no longer a threat. They are the trends, the memories. This resurgence is validating for millennials, and it’s setting the stage for future generations to embrace their own defining aesthetics in the years to come.
First Piper 