This is another tough choice.

1998 still felt more in the 90s territory instead of Y2K, especially with songs like My Heart Will Go On, Too Close, Torn, All My Life, Sex and Candy, and My All. Even the teen pop songs from Backstreet Boys and N-Sync still had a new jack swing sound. Usher in 1998 was probably one of the few artists who had Y2K productions in his songs and later influenced R&B tracks of the early 2000s, including his 8701 and Confessions. Are You That Somebody was also a very Y2K song. The majority of 1998 songs were still 90s sounding, specially early-mid 1998.

2001 was when the majority of the music was in early 2000s/Y2K territory, although not core 2000s. Teen pop was starting to decline in 2001 after it peaked in 1999-2000. Britney Spears released her Neptunes-produced "Im a Slave 4 U" which was her "coming-of-age" song. Christina Aguilera released "Lady Marmalade" which definitely wouldn't be in her teen pop catalog. N-Syncs Celebrity album felt more urban and mature than their previous album and set the tone for Justin Timberlake's solo material. Selfish does sound 90s but the rest of the songs from Celebrity felt Y2K/early 2000s.

I don't know what to pick because 2001 has so much in common with both 1998 and 2004.

I went with 1998. It was a tough decision but in 1998 you had new artists like Mya come out and her entire album in 1998 sounds y2kish. Dru Hill’s 1998 “How deep is your love” sounds like Mya’s 2000-2001 hit single “case of the ex” and is definitely y2k. Dru Hill’s 1998 hit “These are the times” sounds like Jagged edges 2001 “promise” Timbaland”s ”love to love ya” in 1998 was definitely y2k sounding as was Jay Z’ “Can I get A...” which was the rap song that introduced ja-rule. It was apart of the rush hour soundtrack. In 1998 you had Whitney’s “Heartbreak hotel” and “its not right but its ok” which is definitely y2k sounding and wouldn’t sound out of place in 2000 or 2001. R&b in 1998-2001 had pretty much the same sound. Teen pop artists started to mature like you said. In 2001 you still had many other teen pop artists like S club 7 and Aaron carter releasing music that sounded adjacent to 1999’s teen pop. Jessica Simpson’s irresistible album released in 2001 sounds so y2k and the singles all sound teen pop-ish and wouldnt sound out of place in 1999. Destiny’s child’s survivor album in 2001 sounds y2kish as well. You had “Brown eyes” on that album which sounds 90’s more so than early 2000’s as well. 2001 was transitional. Willa Ford’s “I wanna be bad” was also very y2kish.

I went with 1998. It was a tough decision but in 1998 you had new artists like Mya come out and her entire album in 1998 sounds y2kish. Dru Hill’s 1998 “How deep is your love” sounds like Mya’s 2000-2001 hit single “case of the ex” and is definitely y2k. Dru Hill’s 1998 hit “These are the times” sounds like Jagged edges 2001 “promise” Timbaland”s ”love to love ya” in 1998 was definitely y2k sounding as was Jay Z’ “Can I get A...” which was the rap song that introduced ja-rule. It was apart of the rush hour soundtrack. In 1998 you had Whitney’s “Heartbreak hotel” and “its not right but its ok” which is definitely y2k sounding and wouldn’t sound out of place in 2000 or 2001. R&b in 1998-2001 had pretty much the same sound. Teen pop artists started to mature like you said. In 2001 you still had many other teen pop artists like S club 7 and Aaron carter releasing music that sounded adjacent to 1999’s teen pop. Jessica Simpson’s irresistible album released in 2001 sounds so y2k and the singles all sound teen pop-ish and wouldnt sound out of place in 1999. Destiny’s child’s survivor album in 2001 sounds y2kish as well. You had “Brown eyes” on that album which sounds 90’s more so than early 2000’s as well. 2001 was transitional. Willa Ford’s “I wanna be bad” was also very y2kish.


Yeah, I didn’t know there were a lot of R&B songs in 98 that sounded Y2K, it’s just that a lot of them sounded 90s such as Have You Ever and I’m You Angel. Usher and Aaliyah are the biggest examples of Y2K style R&B in 1998. Most of the Y2K stuff became popular in late 1998. I just see 1998 as more 90s than Y2K.

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Yeah, I didn’t know there were a lot of R&B songs in 98 that sounded Y2K, it’s just that a lot of them sounded 90s such as Have You Ever and I’m You Angel. Usher and Aaliyah are the biggest examples of Y2K style R&B in 1998. Most of the Y2K stuff became popular in late 1998. I just see 1998 as more 90s than Y2K.


I think 1998 was kind of transitional. Have you ever, and I’m your Angel were released in 1999 or very late 1998 but they sound like typical late 90’s/ y2k ballads to me. Monica’s 1998 “For you I will” sounds very 90’s tho. Another example would be 98* “I do” which came out in 1998 and it has a mixture of 90’s/y2k synths and what not. For the most part 1998 was still pretty 90’s to me. Mid-Late 1998 is when things started to become more y2k and by January 1999 TLC released no scrubs which changed the sound of r&b completely and took over 1999-2001. All in all I would say 1998 wasn't that different from 2001 although wasnt that different from 2004 either. Hip hop and r&b in 1998 was for the most part y2k with Trina and Trick daddy’s  “nann”, Brandy’s “on top of the world” “happy” , Mase “Feel so good”, etc. Very difficult year because I feel like ‘01 was so transitional a long with 1998 and 2004. 1998 was transitioning out of the core 90’s, 2001-2002 was transitioning out of y2k sounding music and 2004 was transitioning into core 2000’s sounding music.

2001's R&B felt pretty y2k, especially with songs like "Fallin'", "U Remind Me", and "You Rock My World", so it's 1998 for me. It's a tough choice, though.