It was only a matter of time before the 2014 Tumblr era made its comeback—not only aesthetically or fashionably, but musically as well. As Millenials and Gen Z revisit the home of Indie Pop in its  classically soft grunge manner, it’s only fair to address and acknowledge the often overlooked but culturally-groundbreaking era that is 2014 Tumblr. 

Enough of the niche and narrow language; what is this era, and what am I talking about? Tumblr is a micro-blogging site that brimmed with its own distinctive taste. Think skinny jeans, flannels, band tees, eyeliner, combat boots, oversized denim jackets, polaroid cameras and glasses. Not only did it provide the internet with exclusive stylistic choices, but also offered a steady range of artistic tastes. Tumblr was not a single thread but rather multifaceted, encompassing soft grunge, vintage, and angsty layers. With the smell of self-depreciation in the air, coming of age “bangers” getting new life, and hyper-stylized metallic images, this specific subculture can be deemed as the born-again spot for Indie Pop and Alternative Rock. It is hard to believe that an aesthetic at its core birthed the melancholy mixes for avid internet users everywhere.

Aesthetics and appealing things are what shape our music taste, and the 2014 Tumblr era visualized the non-visualizable. Most of the time, aesthetics are created through a sound, but Tumblr created a sound from its own aesthetic corner of the online world. It combined nostalgia and the angsty fever, making it the perfect coming of age era. What does this mean about the comeback? The cycle of trends has been in the fast lane since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with grunge band bloggers being replaced by the less intimidating “VSCO girls”, another aesthetic that took off during the international shut down. The most recent comeback cycle can be traced back to the first lockdown, where a sense of nostalgia and normalcy was craved for. It seemed as if isolation, for myself at least, was a past-life regression for the simpler times. With everything transferring online, it only seemed fit to re-enter the era where the internet was the only thing that mattered.

To touch more on the cycle of trends, it seems as we are entering newfound territory where so many micro-trends exist at once, that the cycle will cease to exist— everything is entering the zeitgeist at the same time. This is a reference to the social cycle theory, where everything is encouraged at the same time, nothing is popular or unpopular. The engagement of so many different aesthetics nullifies popularity as a standard for participating in the trends. As a general rule, history repeats itself, and cycles come and go. They serve as a statement of our social and human evolution. For this reason, I don’t believe that Tumblr is having another 15 seconds of fame, but its aesthetic is here to stay, for a while at least. 

Fandom culture is also a key characteristic of Tumblr, and crucial to understanding the rise of the artists born out of this era. Although many of these talents are already big names, they have a lot to credit to the insanity that is Tumblr. Think of the term “fangirl”, but remove the connotation to it that you are so familiar with. To be a fangirl was to hold the power to give someone fame, to exercise their incomparable loyalty through their ferocity and dedication. Being a fangirl was to be force to be reckoned with, and they resided behind their blogs. This phenomenon mainly consisted of English Rock, and Indie Pop, with notable examples including The 1975, Halsey, the xx, Lorde, Two Door Cinema Club, Lana Del Rey, the Kooks, Haim, Twenty One Pilots, and the Arctic Monkeys. 

It is very clear that, although Tumblr has notable cultural significance, it had a huge impact on music. Many current artists seem to follow in line with the angst and emotion that was and only could be evoked by the 2014 Tumblr deemed artists, such as Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers asserting themselves as “sad girls” as well. Indie Pop and Indie Sleaze core has been ingrained into the world as a subculture of music and people. Essentially, Tumblr revolutionized Indie music and the “coming of age” brand, curated for those who tried to keep their innocence while simultaneously chasing it away. No one said it better than Lorde; it really is so scary getting old. 

The revival of 2014 Tumblr clearly has had me questioning a lot of my coming of age moments, but there’s no other soundtrack I’d rather do it to. I’ve linked a Spotify playlist that encompasses the heart, soul, and tunes of the era so you can feel as nostalgic as I do. The only way I could articulate my feelings back then, or feel like I wasn’t the only teen who felt like a teen was through the recognition that music provided me. Maybe it's the desire to remain innocent despite what the transition into adulthood has done for us, but regardless, the coming of age never stops.

Header by: Valerie Letts