Before anyone gets the wrong idea, I don’t have the dreaded mustache finger tattoo. I’m free to reminisce about cringe Millennial culture without a constant, permanent reminder. My condolences to those who didn’t get out unscathed.
But hey, nostalgia is cool again, and maybe the finger mustaches will come back around. Maybe it’ll be like one of those ironically bad tattoos we can laugh about. Or like an old war wound that acts up when it rains. Either way, much like the finger mustache, these iconic Millennial songs aren’t going anywhere. Even if we listen to them now with an air of ironic nostalgia.
“Gold Trans Am” by Kesha
Kesha undoubtedly had the hits on her 2010 debut Animal, but two years later she dropped Warrior, which doesn’t get enough love. “Gold Trans Am” was a standout on that album for its unashamed sexuality, which was Kesha’s oeuvre at the time. She wasn’t shy about putting it all out there in her music, and while context does darken that time, many fans still have love for her early work.
There’s just no denying the raw power she had on those first two and a half albums (counting Cannibal as the half). These days, it’s been fun to see Kesha explore her creativity on her own terms. Now that she’s free of her abusive record contract, she’s putting out new music under her own label. Additionally, it’s nice to see that her loud-and-proud attitude has stuck around.
“Alejandro” by Lady Gaga
The Fame Monster is one of Lady Gaga’s best albums, and there’s no way you’ll change my mind, not that I think anyone would disagree. While it’s tempting to choose “Bad Romance” as a favorite from that album, I’d like to show some love to “Alejandro” instead. But in terms of Top 5 Lady Gaga songs, it goes “Scheiße”, “Telephone”, “Judas”, “Bad Romance”, and “Alejandro”. In case anyone was wondering.
“Alejandro” is so melodramatic just to be melodramatic, and that’s its strength. It’s over-the-top theatricality while also staying kind of low-key, which is a strange contradiction, but it works somehow. The drama of the strings and spoken intro, to the almost lackadaisical beat, to name-dropping all these different guys? Interesting, mysterious, perfection.
“Carry On” by fun.
It seems like fun.’s entire 2012 album Some Nights was dedicated to songs about making it through tough times. It’s like Nate Ruess knew Millennials would need “Carry On” years later. This may have come during the stomp-clap boom, but “Carry On”, alongside the other big hit “We Are Young”, has aged pretty well, all things considered.
When the nostalgia kicks in and you’re stuck reminiscing about times that seem so much simpler in comparison (even though they most likely weren’t), there’s always “Carry On” to come back to. So, you’re right, Nate Ruess, “When you’re lost and alone / And you’re sinking like a stone / Carry on”, indeed.
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