In light of the recent GAP commercial, that I’m sure we’ve all seen, featuring Katseye, I have not been able to get “Milkshake” by Kelis out of my head. It’s catchy, it’s so memorable, and we all know it, which is exactly how you can describe hundreds of songs that came out during that decade.
As a college student who was born in the early 2000s, I can easily say that so many of those songs are what raised me. They’re what was on in the car on the radio, what my older cousins were listening to, and they’re some of the first memories I have with music.
I have a 15 hour playlist that’s filled with all that music and it is perfect for literally any mood I’m in. And yes- Milkshake is one of the 242 songs in it.
Clearly, I’m proud of the time and effort spent in searching for and over time, creating a playlist this big. Here are some of my top songs that give me pure nostalgia, goosebumps and the memories attached with each.
1. Beautiful Girls – Sean Kingston
The background to how I know this song is just too funny. Let me begin by telling you that growing up, I was a huge iCarly fan. I was such a big fan that I listened to the show soundtrack – yes, they had a soundtrack – where the characters would sing and remix some pop songs, including Beautiful Girls. So you can imagine the pure shock I felt the first time I heard this song outside of that soundtrack and not being sung by Miranda Cosgrove. Embarrassing, but kind of funny looking back.
2. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
The pure ecstasy that comes with this song. I feel like a cool girl with her wired headphones and iPod walking through a park when I listen to this song. I know it was later than when this song came out and past it’s peak, but this was one of my favorite songs freshman year of high school, over 15 years after it came out, that just speaks so much on the timelessness of this song.
3. Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
Okay. So we all know as a girl in the 2000s, I was a huge One Direction fan. I watched the One Direction: This Is Us movie, as well. Do we know where I’m going with this? This song was covered by the band in the movie, which is where I heard it for the first time. I know, I’m sorry to those whose heart I just broke and who I probably made feel old. But this has grown to be such a classic and I can honestly proundly say that the original version is incredible, and I can enjoy it because I watched that movie. So thanks, One Direction!
4. We Are Young – Fun.
Where are these guys? Dropped an absolute classic banger and fell off the face of the Earth. You’re telling me this song comes on and you won’t belt the lyrics? This song is just so good and there’s not really much to say about it besides that. Another classic.
5. 7 Years – Lukas Graham
I know I just reminded you of this song existed, it’s just so underrated. It’s so incredibly written, and the lyrics are just so beautiful and touching. I say this with no shame, but I actually feel the urge to cry when I hear this song because the way this song is delivered is just passionate, as though I know exactly the pain he is feeling. And the background music on top of it is so beautiful. I’m repeating these words but it’s just the only way I can put into words to describe it.
6. Beauty and a Beat – Justin Bieber ft. Nicki Minaj
If this list was ranked in order, this song may or may not be #1. Definitely top 3, because I feel the urge to sing and dance when I hear it. I even get goosebumps when I listen to the outro after Nicki Minaj’s part, because the tone Justin sings it in. This is probably one of the only songs that a) I can listen to without ever getting bored and b) gonna think of so many good memories from college, since it’s such a classic song to listen to at this point in my life. I can’t even imagine how my life would’ve been if I was in college when this song came out.
7. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
Dare I say the pop queen of the decade? I remember watching this video multiple times when this song had came out because I was so obsessed with how fun life seemed to be when I got older from little me’s eyes. I thought there would be insane parties like that every single weekend and I couldn’t wait for it to be my turn to experience that. Spoiler alert: life was indeed not like that. To say I was disappointed is an understatement, but I feel the excitement I had once felt at that young age when I listen to this song today.
8. Poker Face – Lady Gaga
There’s only one memory I have when I listen to this song, can we guess what it is? From a movie…? Edible flowers…..? No…? That one scene from the Percy Jackson movie! When they were trapped in the casino. Wow, I just think that this was the perfect song for that scene. The feeling of hearing the intro beats of this song playing during that scene was just incredible cinematogrophy. If you haven’t seen that movie, middle school me would be deeply disappointed. Finish reading this then go watch the movies. (Maybe even read the books too… and thank me later.)
9. Black Beatles – Rae Sremmurd
If you were alive when this song came out, you don’t even need me to tell you the impact it had on everyone of literally all ages. I was in middle school when it came out, so you can imagine the entire cafeteria participating after begging the lunch monitors to play it to participate in the tend. In case you may were living under a rock at that time, the entire internet exploded participating in this trend where you would play this song during the “Mannequin Challenge,” where you would literally freeze when this song was playing, and videos would go viral online of people participating. Such a good time to be alive and online.
What Makes You Beautiful – One Direction
Had to save the “best song ever” for last. Hahaha, get it? “Best song ever?” Sorry, but you HAD to have been living under a rock if you didn’t know One Direction. A boy band with millions around the world, including myself. This is their debut song that brought them to fame, and shout out to their iCarly performance shortly after. (I meant it when I said I loved that show, and this episode with 1D was 99% my most watched one.)
I could have kept this list going and going and going, because this entire era of music was so incredible and nothing could compare. These will forever be just a few of the many songs I will be driving my future children crazy with, the same my parents did with their songs from the 80s and 90s.
If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and I hope to see you soon!
Cupid's Chokehold 
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