A recent trend has taken off, claiming that 2026 is the new 2016, waxing nostalgic about how good we had it.The general vibe is that 2016 was the last good year of the decade, but there’s hope for 2026. But what exactly is it about 2016 and not any other prosperous year from the past? People are grasping at hope for the new year while simultaneously obsessing over the past, reaching for a 2016 renaissance. Reveling in this theory, an Instagram post joked, “they let Fetty Wap out of jail it really is about to be 2016 again.” History is repeating itself through coincidence, but it’s more intentional than people think. People love that 2026 is the new 2016 for these 4 reasons: 1. The aesthetic Erik Mclean | Unsplash Timeless, trendy pieces from that year, like fashion, websites, and popular bands, were first being marketed and promoted by online personalities and celebrities that seeped into popular culture. Everyone was wearing stripes and ripped jeans. It felt accessible to all classes and bridged economic and …