THE YEAR OF THE SIMPLE LIFE
2003 is basically done
and I’m still trying to catch my breath.
This year wasn’t cute. It was extra.
It was rhinestoned.
It was crying to Dashboard Confessional with your AIM away message set to “BRB, finding myself 💔”
If 2002 hinted at chaos…
2003 kicked the door in wearing a trucker hat and blasting “In Da Club” 🎧
THE YEAR OF TANK TOPS
Fashion had zero chill this year 😮💨
Von Dutch hats were everywhere.
Like literally—Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, your friend’s older sister who vaped behind 7-Eleven.
Juicy tracksuits were not just for lounging.
They were worn with platform flip-flops like it was the Met Gala.
And tank tops?? Worn in layers. Like three at once.
Bonus points if one had glitter text that said “Angel” 💅
Scene kids started bleeding into the mainstream.
Black nail polish, studded belts, band tees from Hot Topic, haircuts that said “don’t talk to me unless you scream-sing your trauma” 🖤
Pete Wentz was lowkey becoming a god.
THE YEAR WE GOT FREAKY
Finding Nemo made us cry over a fish with anxiety. Iconic 🐠
Freaky Friday gave us Lindsay Lohan with a guitar and eyeliner
And we were never the same 🎸
And The Matrix Reloaded??
Still confusing. Still cool. Still the reason half of us wore leather for no reason 😎
X2 was 🔥 Superhero movies were finally giving plot, emotion, and tight black suits.
Blockbusters weren’t just for popcorn—they were for feelings
THE YEAR WE WENT TO DA CLUB
Beyoncé said “Crazy in Love” and the world collectively lost it 💃
The walk, the fan, the uh-oh—she didn’t just arrive. She snatched the throne.
Meanwhile, 50 Cent came in like a bulletproof tank.
Get Rich or Die Tryin’ was the soundtrack.
You couldn’t escape “In Da Club” even if you tried 🔫
(Most of us were 13 and still screaming “I’m into havin' sex” like we knew what that meant 😭)
But then the emo kids pulled up.
Fall Out Boy, Evanescence, Dashboard Confessional—suddenly it was cool to feel EVERYTHING
Crying in your room? Valid.
Writing vague poetry on your MySpace blog? More than valid 💔
THE YEAR OF REALITY TV
Reality TV went full gremlin mode.
The Simple Life was chaos in a pink truck.
Paris Hilton taught us that “that’s hot” could literally mean anything 🔥
(Washing clothes in a river while wearing Dior? Yes please.)
And The OC? It premiered and immediately every teen girl wanted to be Summer. Or date Seth. Or cry like Marissa 🧡
Suddenly, California looked like therapy and heartbreak set to indie music.
MySpace kept growing. Layouts were layered with glitter, mood swings, and autoplay music.
Top 8s started drama. Comments were love letters.
HTML coding was emotional warfare 💻
THE YEAR WE SCREAMED BACK
This year wasn’t shy. It wasn’t neat.
It was low-rise chaos and emotional bangers.
It was pink velour and black eyeliner, all tangled up in identity and noise.
We weren’t just watching the culture.
We were the culture. On stage. On screen. Online.
Tomorrow it’s 2004 🪩
And if 2003 was a scream—next year might just be a meltdown.