Although we are about three months into 2016, you could say that not a lot has changed between 2016 and 2015, aside from buying new calendars — and you’d be right. Fashion trends, celebrity drama, scientific innovations and more are all still yet to be determined this year with nine months left.
So, before we completely dive into all that, let’s pause and throw it back to ten years ago. 2006 was quite a busy year for pop culture as we were all busy cruising through middle school. Take a break from midterms and allow Valley to give you some much-needed nostalgia with our highlights below.
Music:
According to Billboard’s Year-End Hot 100 singles list, in 2006 the top ten songs were:
“Bad Day” by Daniel Powter
“Temperature” by Sean Paul
“Promiscuous” by Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
“You’re Beautiful” by James Blunt
“Hips Don’t Lie” by Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
“Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield
“Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley
“Ridin’” by Chamillionaire featuring Krayzi Bone
“SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake featuring Timbaland
“Check on It,” by Beyoncé featuring Slim Thug
Compare this list to one of today’s top artists and there’s hardly any names crossing over (besides Beyonce and JT, of course.)
To get the Penn State perspective, senior Bertha Castaneda, an IST and Agriculture and Business Management double major told Valley a little about her 2006 memories.
“I really liked ‘Promiscuous Girl’ by Nelly Furtado,” Castaneda says. “I used to sing along without realizing what the words meant.” We’ve certainly all been there.
Television
On March 24, 2006 our generation learned what it was like to get “The Best of Both Worlds” when “Hannah Montana” premiered on Disney Channel. The Miley of today is a 180° change from back then, but she’s still wildly entertaining all the same. R.I.P. Hannah Montana. Our lives weren’t perfect, but you made us believe everyone just has those days.
He’s more buff and he’s stopped singing, but “We’re [still] All in This Together” in our fondness for Zac Efron. 2006 brought us “High School Musical” and a collective yearning to break out in song and dance in our school hallways that we never thought we had. For bonus nostaligia, check out the 10th year anniversary interview from the movie’s original cast here.
Movies
From “The Devil Wears Prada,” to “Cars,” to “She’s the Man,” to “John Tucker Must Die,” these films taught us life lessons about working with hard bosses and seeing the worth in other human beings. They also showed us that yes, it is possible to succeed at your goals (and get the guy) even if you have to impersonate your brother to do it, and that girl power will always prevail.
Celebrity News
In celebrity news, this was the year Britney Spears said, “It’s over,” to Kevin Federline and started her unfortunate fall from grace. Spears wasn’t the only one to go buck wild however, as Lindsay Lohan also went through a whirlwind of odd situations herself. A particular low light for the year was the death of Steve Irwin, everyone’s favorite crocodile hunter, caused by a freak accident involving a stingray. R.I.P.
Technology
2006 was still one year prior to the introduction of iPhones, but that didn’t stop anyone from going mobile. The Motorola RAZR, LG Chocolate, T-Mobile Sidekick 3, RIM BlackBerry Pearl, and Palm Treo 700 were some of the most popular phones available.
“In 2006 I was a sixth grader and that’s when I got my first phone,” Castaneda says. “Texting was a big thing for me, it was really exciting.”
We’re looking forward to what the rest of 2016 will bring and what 2026’s ten-year throwback will look like. Make it “lit.”
