DISCLAIMER! This page has become an overview of all aesthetics that are generally labelled under the Y2K umbrella, and is still under construction.
Since the advent of the Internet, Y2K (short for Year 2000) has become a broad term that describes the societal zeitgeist of the world between the late 1990s to the early 2000s. Named after the Year 2000 problem, it is characterized by fashion, hardware design, music, futuristic technology, and optimism relevant to the time period. Since the Mid-Late 2010s, the group of aesthetics described as Y2K have made a resurgence in popular culture and social media.
Y2K originally referred to an aesthetic prevalent in popular culture from roughly 1997 to 2004. However, the term has massively expanded since then due to misappropriation and semantic shift, and this specific aesthetic is now retroactively known as Cyber Y2K. This era's predecessors include the Memphis Design era (circa 1984-1997) and the Grunge era (c. 1991-1997) and was later succeeded by the Frutiger Aero era (circa 2004-2013).
Contents
- 1 Y2K Aesthetics
- 1.1 Cybercore/Y3K
- 1.2 McBling
- 1.3 Gen X Soft Club
- 1.4 Dark Y2K/Cyber Grunge
- 1.5 FantasY2K
- 1.6 Cheiron Crush
- 1.7 2K1
- 2 Resources
- 3 References
Y2K Aesthetics[]
Cybercore/Y3K[]
Cybercore (also referred to as Y2K Futurism, Cyber Y2K, Y3K (in Japan), or just simply Y2K) is an aesthetic that was prevalent in popular culture from roughly 1997 to 2004, succeeding the Memphis Design and Grunge eras and overlapping with the McBling, UrBling, Surf Crush, and 2K1 aesthetics. Cybercore aesthetics use futuristic graphic design and CGI. Graphic designs usually feature thick lines, bold minimalism, and heavy use of iconography. CGI art is more blobby looking, having more gradients in contrast to Metalheart or Chromecore. Common colors used in Cybercore art are, but not limited to, chrome, icy blue, ocean, bright oranges, glossy white, and black (for linework).
Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head (Official Video)
McBling[]
McBling is an aesthetic that was popular from roughly 2000 to 2008. overlapping with the Y2K, UrBling, Surf Crush, Frutiger Aero, 2K1, and 2K7 aesthetics. It was coined through a Facebook page in 2016 made by Evan Collins of the Y2K Aesthetics Institute. It is often loosely referred to as "Y2K fashion", "Trashy Y2K", or simply "Y2K" on social media,
Gen X Soft Club[]
Gen X Soft Club was a popular aesthetic in the Late-1990s to Late-2000s, branching from the popular Cybercore movement of the time. It is considered a more natural and "down-to-earth" look at futurist optimism of the time. It's characterized by urban typography, a use of plants/nature, underground metros/train stations, airports, city skylines, and a heavy use of minimalism/cool (cold) color schemes.
Dark Y2K/Cyber Grunge[]
[under construction]
FantasY2K[]
FantasY2K (a portmanteau of "Fantasy" and "Y2K") is an aesthetic that takes elements of Medieval Fantasy aesthetics and reinterprets them to conform to the fashion trends of the 2000s. The balance of these clashing styles can vary from haute couture runway looks with vaguely fantastical themes, to film and TV costumes that are passable as loosely historical, but with definite anachronisms - such as modern hairstyles, makeup and silhouettes. The aesthetic takes an unapologetically kitsch approach in its disregard for historical accuracy in favor of contemporary trends. For this reason, it is often adopted with self-aware irony, particularly in satirical media such as A Knight's Tale or Ella Enchanted.
Cheiron Crush[]
Cheiron Crush is a music video aesthetic that was prevalent from roughly 1997 to 2003. This video style co-existed inside the Y2K Era. In turn, the name comes from Cheiron Studios, where many pop hits of the era were produced. Camera flash shutter, chromatic aberration, and magenta[1] are common visual features of this style.
Backstreet Boys - As Long As You Love Me (Official HD Video)
Céline Dion - That's The Way It Is (Official Video)
*NSYNC - I Want You Back (US Version - Official Video)
Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time (Official Video)
Lorie - Toute seule (Clip officiel)
Backstreet Boys - All I Have To Give (Official HD Video)
2K1[]
2K1 is an aesthetic that was prevalent from roughly 2001 to 2004. This style bridged the gap between the Y2K and McBling eras. Raunchy "big red text" comedies, throwback jerseys, Minivan Rock, and Neptunes-type hip-hop production all surged at this time while Teen Pop was slowly being phased away. American flag imagery and "Dirty"-style fashion were a key component to this aesthetic which flourished in the post-9/11 world.
Britney Spears - I'm A Slave 4 U (Official HD Video)
Christina Aguilera - Dirrty (Official HD Video) ft. Redman
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Resources[]
External links to help get a better understanding of these aesthetics:
References[]
- ↑ In what meaning, color?
