#2016

Allie Winsor

Staff

Two months into the year 2026 and we’re already wishing we could go back. But not to

any random year, not 2024, 2007, and certainly not 2020. The year Gen Z can’t stop

romanticizing is 2016. The year of chokers and the beginning of high-waisted jeans. The

mannequin challenge. The Gilmore Girls revival, A Year in the Life.

It seems we’re not ready to forget. Millions are posting carousels filled with ten-year-old

photos tagged # 2016, resurrecting filtered selfies and blurry concert videos. All that mattered

was Gigi Hadid’s Snapchat story and whether or not Beyonce was going to address Jay-Z’s

cheating rumors. The answer was clear on Bey’s sixth studio album Lemonade.

Yes, it’s been that long. Lemonade by Beyonce dropped in 2016 on April 23rd. 2016

wasn’t just visually iconic, it sounded iconic. Even as a surprise release, Lemonade debuted at

number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and sold 653,000 units in the first week making it the

biggest debut for a female artist that year.

Spotlight songs such as All Night and 6 Inch featuring The Weeknd represented Beyonce’s previous sonic identity satisfying long-term fans. Daddy Lessons was her first dip into her native waters of country while Don’t Hurt Yourself featuring Jack White showed off her rock-inspired vocals. A highlight of the album, Freedom featuring Kendrick Lamar, confronts all cycles of oppression whether it be racial, relational, or historical.

The Formation World Tour followed quickly, spanning 49 tour dates. Every stadium was

sold out and packed to the brim with fans sporting all black southern leather and the iconic

lemonade braids. The tour grossed over $256 Million and over 2.24 million lucky fans were able

to witness Queen B at her most commanding. She wasn’t just performing, she was leading.

Echoes the Lemonade era remain prominent in modern day pop music and R&B.

While Beyonce was the fire of 2016, Rihanna was the cool. With her eighth studio album,

ANTI, Rihanna dove into atmosphere and mood, leaving behind the pop-radio formula. Love On

The Brain was an instant classic, belted at karaoke bars everywhere. Hits like Work featuring

Drake and Needed Me dominated streaming further solidifying Rihanna’s legendary hold on the

pop space. ANTI is still widely considered Rihanna’s best work by fans and critics alike. It

wasn’t polished pop, it was raw and defiant.

It wouldn't be correct to reminisce about 2016 without mentioning the two male chart

toppers. Justin Bieber claimed the two most streamed songs of the year Love Yourself, written by

Ed Sheeran, and Sorry.

Drake had a chokehold worldwide with the endlessly catchy R&B song One Dance. In this year we also saw the rise of now household names such as Shawn Mendes, The Weeknd, and Halsey. At just fourteen, Billie Eilish’s first song Ocean Eyes began circulating on SoundCloud before it became her breakout hit in 2017.

2016 was larger than playlists and algorithms. Each album was an event, each tour a

record breaker. Before we were forced to question whether every piece of media was

AI-generated there was art that felt undeniably real. Art that defined our entire summers and

maybe even the rest of our lives to come. We can’t let go of that feeling. We can’t let go of # 2016.