There are a lot of things from the early 2000s that, frankly, I’d like to forget. At the top of the list are low rise jeans, followed closely by awkward Myspace mirror selfies and roll-on body glitter (seriously, that stuff got everywhere).
As with all bittersweet memories of adolescence, there is a silver lining to be found here: the Y2K era chick flick. That’s right class, today we’re discussing the coming of age romantic comedies of yore; the great silver screen eclipse from the late ’90s to the early 2000s, dominated by the likes of Lindsey Lohan, Amanda Bynes, and Mandy Moore.
These movies came with a high school setting, a cast that was definitely pushing their mid-twenties at the time of filming, and some questionable fashion choices.
With the perfect blend of punk, pop, and hip hop, each scene contained a layer of teenage anthems to reflect the internal turmoil of the characters on screen—and the films’ target audience, as well.
The movie soundtracks of the early 2000s quickly became a staple in building my personal music collection as a youth, and I wasn’t alone.
From Bring It On to The Lizzie McGuire Movie, the angsty emo love ballads and electropop dance numbers from these films became a defining feature of our generation.
If you’re feeling nostalgic for the days of Claire’s charm bracelets and frosted hair tips, you’ll want to check out this playlist! I’ve collected songs from some of my favorite early 2000s high school chick flicks, and you can find them in the mix below.
But, before that . . . Since you’re already here, would you care for a bit of time travel? Here are 10 items from the early 2000s that will instantly transport you back in time.
Get in losers, we’re going time travelling!
I’m not sure if I want to cringe at these things or recreate them in present day 2020, but they will continue to live on in our memories (and this post!).
10. Cell phone charms
Forget your zodiac sign, which cell phone charm did you hang off the corner of your flip phone? Mine was a tiny pink hibiscus flower.
9. Inflatable furniture
Perfect for playing MASH or the Nintendo 64, dealer’s choice.
8. Shrek colored food products
Nothing looked appetizing in Shrek green, but we wanted to eat it anyways. Who thought this was a good idea, and why did we let it go on for so long???
7. See-through electronics
If I can’t see the wiry guts of my game controller, I don’t want it.
6. Rhinestone stickers
Rule #1 of the early 2000s: everything has to sparkle.
5. Any hair styling tools that looked like this
If your hair didn’t smell like it was burning during your morning routine, you weren’t doing it right. See also: Rule #1
4. Klutz activity books
Klutz: the original trend influencer before Pinterest, Instagram, and TikTok.
3. Different colored VHS tapes
Nothing leveled up family movie night quite like opening the Blockbuster VHS case to find one of these bad boys.
2. Cereal box CD-ROM games
They were free AND fun! And . . . you mostly got a lot of duplicate game discs.
1. iPod Shuffle
Perhaps the best metaphor for the early 2000s is the pure, unadulterated chaos of having your entire music library on shuffle with no ability to select specific songs or create playlists.
Girl, put your records on
Now that we’ve successfully transported ourselves back a couple of decades, you’re going to need some tunes to dance to. While I can’t burn you a mix CD, here’s a link to a playlist with some songs from my favorite Y2K movie soundtracks.
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