Look at the music top charts, It’s all dark Trap dominated. We went from that dancy, exciting Trap beat, to a slower, generic beat. Old Town Road sounds like a decent song (In My Opinion), but it just sounds depressing telling by Lil Nas X’s autotuned voice, especially with J Cole’s Middle Child, Post Malone’s Wow, 21 Savage’s A Lot, and other songs. Bridging the gap between Trap and EDM, we have not heard a single Trap EDM song being on the charts since 2017, which kinda sucks because songs like Don’t Let Me Down and Dark Horse were polished and easy to dance to. Future Bass is still somewhat popular, but its not topping the charts anymore at the top 3. Happier is on the top 10, so I guess theres that, but its a more 2016-18 thing. On the pop side of the “spectrum”, Ariana Grande, Halsey, Post Malone, and Billie Eilish’s songs are literally dominant in the top charts, 7 Rings, Sunflower, and Bad Guy sound too downbeat, it sounds unmotivational, quiet, and lo-fi. I mean sure, there are still some happy sounding songs like Happier, Please Me, Dancing with a stranger, Without Me, etc. But the charts are being shadowed with these dark vibe songs.

Besides music, video games have also been dark. Resident Evil 2 and Metro Exodus really encapsulate these dark vibes. Fortnite isn’t fun anymore, as I mentioned multiple times in the past, thanks to these stupid updates and tryhards. Apex Legends was alright when it first came out, but after a month, it got really boring as it’s the same exact game every round. Games like Just Cause 4 and Far Cry New Dawn aren’t that great. The only good thing about games this year are that Call of Duty Black Ops 4 somewhat help COD become popular again, and games like Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and AC Odyssey are fun as well. 2018, however, was a MAJOR flop for games, sort of bleeding into 2019 with Fallout 76.

TV wise, shows like Game of thrones and Big Bang Theory are ending, as well as some Netflix exclusives like Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Daredevil. Now shows like Stranger Things, Riverdale, and 13 Reasons why are the main attraction since 2016 or 2017.

The main trend on YouTube is literally Pewdiepie vs T Series, with T Series beating Pewds multiple times already.

The only thing that makes 2019 bright are the movies, Bumblebee, Shazam, Alita, and other movies. The good news is, this could be Disney’s year, Aladdin, Lion King, and Frozen 2 are coming in, giving a sign of hope for 2019, and let’s see how Avengers Endgame does.

Well, that was quite the explanation. Everybody has different opinions, some people may find 2019 bright, some may find it dark, just wanted to express my thoughts on how 2019 is going.

Honestly, I don't feel like it's any "darker" than any of the previous years in this decade. Then again I've never subscribed to the recent trend on this website of glorifying the early-mid 2010s. I am not at all nostalgic for the early-mid 2010s, and probably never will be. Not that the late 2010s are any better, because, when it comes to pop culture, it hasn't been radically different.

I will admit, pop culturally I can't really say for certain since I haven't really been following it recently. However, politically 2019 (at least so far) has been rather quiet. Besides the attack on the mosque in Australia, which was heart-wrenching, and the bombshell of the Barr Summary of the Mueller Report (which revealed...... nothing, but let's wait till the actual report drops) the political world has been rather quiet. Which is weird since 2020 is around the corner. You would expect things to be rather hectic by now, but at the moment everything is rather calm/somber.

The announcements of many 2020 candidates haven't really made much ripples across the populations, only to political junkies like myself. ISIS has been degraded massively, like seriously when is the last time you've heard of a massive terrorist attack inflicted by ISIS? Trump's approval ratings have sort of stabilized to the low-mid 40s (not good, not bad, just.... meh), not to mention that the amount of changeover in the Trump administration (minus Nielsen's recent exit) has also been rather low. I could go on and on.

In a way, people are already established in their own camps, so the amount of vitriol and division people experienced throughout 2014-2018 (2016 election being the center of it) is something that people have become num to since 2019 has begun. Whether or not that would lead to things being more civilized politically, as things were prior to 2014, has yet to be seen. I hope to God it does.

But yeah, at the moment 2019 hasn't really been that dark. If anything, it's the least dark start of a year since probably 2014. But we'll see how this year ultimately ends. I'm talking about society, not so much pop culture

But FWIW, from the few things I have followed in pop culture, I'd disagree with the year being super dark in that category as well, but admittedly I haven't been paying too much attention

At least the music is better than 2018. We no longer have to deal with people like 6ix9ine and Lil Pump. The music in 2019 is not even that dark. If you ask me, 2016 had the most downbeat and dark music this decade.

Yeah it has. I thought it would be a fun year but it's even darker than 2009. Pretty weird because we don't have the same recession as then and usually the last year of the decade is fun. I guess everyone is just tired and there's not much to celebrate given the state of the world right now politically and the fact that music is worse than it has ever been.  Both 2018 and 2019 were very dark years. 2017 was also dark but a little less because at least you had happy music in the early part on the radio and pop culture didn't totally suck.

Oh well I will still celebrate leaving this decade. We still have a couple more months to go though.

At least the music is better than 2018. We no longer have to deal with people like 6ix9ine and Lil Pump. The music in 2019 is not even that dark. If you ask me, 2016 had the most downbeat and dark music this decade.

It's literally the same. It's just as dark and horrible as 2018.

The music in 2016 was miles better than the music today. I don't know how people can defend music from late 2017 - 2019, it's just so horrible. But I guess everyone's taste are different. To my ears I can't even listen to the radio without disgust. But I honestly was able to from early 2017 and before, there were catchy hits I liked istening to while driving on the radio and they were listenable. I haven't heard a decent popular song in 2 years. It's probably because 90% of it is trap, and the other 10% is washed up EDM screeching noises with stale lyrics that has been overdone, it's not even catchy.

2017 and especially 2018 (and maybe even 2019) are far less horrible than 2016 was. There was maybe less Trap than those two years (although it was a pretty Trap-heavy year too anyway), but instead there was a max influx of incredibly uninspired, basic-chord progression Pop and begginer's book EDM that reached an all-time low creative wise. Even previously quality artists like Justin Timberlake and Sia made abysmally generic stuff that year.

2017 and especially 2018 (and maybe even 2019) are far less horrible than 2016 was. There was maybe less Trap than those two years (although it was a pretty Trap-heavy year too anyway), but instead there was a max influx of incredibly uninspired, basic-chord progression Pop and begginer's book EDM that reached an all-time low creative wise. Even previously quality artists like Justin Timberlake and Sia made abysmally generic stuff that year.

Not at all. 2016 looks like heaven compared to now and 2018. It wasn't as good as 2015, but wayyy better than late 2017 - present. All of those artists and their generic songs were better than the unlistenable stuff we have to today. I literally can't even listen to 5 second clips of the Billboard Hot 100 on YouTube today without shutting it off in disgust. Music was way better back then. Pop music is not supposed to be how it is today, it's supposed to be catchy and listenable. Pop culture also had more of an identity in general. There were always little fads and trends around. But today, and the late 2010s in general, it feels like we are in a lost era with absolutely no character or identity at all. There's just nothing appealing in pop culture now. 2016 was a good year.

It's unfortunate but the era of the late 2010s specifically has actually made the 2010s decade really horrible and the worst decade ever. But in general this decade was horrible. I can't wait until 8 months when we are out of it.

At least the music is better than 2018. We no longer have to deal with people like 6ix9ine and Lil Pump. The music in 2019 is not even that dark. If you ask me, 2016 had the most downbeat and dark music this decade.


Well, I'm glad 6ix9ine and Lil Pump are out of the window, but 2016 had a brighter appeal to it because Trap still had that polished vibe until late 2016, EDM was the dominant genre, Vine was still around, Game of Thrones, Big Bang Theory, and the Walking Dead were still dominant, and GTA 5, Overwatch, and Destiny the dominant games.

Not at all. 2016 looks like heaven compared to now and 2018. It wasn't as good as 2015, but wayyy better than late 2017 - present. All of those artists and their generic songs were better than the unlistenable stuff we have to today. I literally can't even listen to 5 second clips of the Billboard Hot 100 on YouTube today without shutting it off in disgust. Music was way better back then. Pop music is not supposed to be how it is today, it's supposed to be catchy and listenable. Pop culture also had more of an identity in general. There were always little fads and trends around. But today, and the late 2010s in general, it feels like we are in a lost era with absolutely no character or identity at all. There's just nothing appealing in pop culture now. 2016 was a good year.

It's unfortunate but the era of the late 2010s specifically has actually made the 2010s decade really horrible and the worst decade ever. But in general this decade was horrible. I can't wait until 8 months when we are out of it.


Agreed, the 2013-16 era is far better in my opinion, despite it's not as good as the electropop era.

In relation to music, the last upbeat and pop heavy centric year was probably 2014. It was so cheesy looking back, but in many ways the year was the 'last hurrah' of Millennial pop culture, which in itself was an embellishment of 'pop princesses' and 'princes of pop' mixed in with electropop/EDM and cheesy but catchy lyrics/beats. Everything just seems too serious now, which is a testament to the direction music went into during the 2010s (and not in good way, mind you).

Oh and....Happy 17 hundereth post to me :D

Oh and....Happy 17 hundereth post to me :D

Congratulations! Maybe one day you'll catch up to my 6000+ posts.  ;)

It's unfortunate but the era of the late 2010s specifically has actually made the 2010s decade really horrible and the worst decade ever. But in general this decade was horrible. I can't wait until 8 months when we are out of it.


This was definitely the decade from hell no matter which way you slice it.  I'm not as down on the music though as you are.  It's just everything else about this decade.  In my personal life, it was pretty much a lost decade.  My last good year was 2011 (though 2017 was okay).  I'm in fact worse off now than I was in 2009 in almost every way and there's little hope of anything changing.  And I hate that the late 2010s have become such a cruel, nasty, backward era defined by bigotry and hate that just a few years ago nobody would have thought possible.  But I'm even more pessimistic about the 2020s.  This is a very frightening time to be alive.

Besides the attack on the mosque in Australia,


It was in New Zealand, not Australia.

Today, there was also a fire at a cathedral in Paris. :\'(

Today, there was also a fire at a cathedral in Paris. :\'(
:\'( :\'( :\'(

Today, there was also a fire at a cathedral in Paris. :\'(


Damn, that sucks.  :\'(

Today, there was also a fire at a cathedral in Paris. :\'(

It's not just "a cathedral"... it's Notre Dame!  :o The most famous cathedral on the planet... That's crazy.

Yeah, the Notre Dame fire was a pretty devastating one as well. Centuries of history destroyed in a single day :\'(

They are planning on rebuilding it, but it just won’t feel the same! Can't believe how such beautiful artwork and hard work from 1345.  :\'(

It's a terrible year so far. The burning cathedral was the cherry on top for a terrible year.
Music is stuck on 2017 and 2018 like trends. Only George Ezra's Shotgun sounded somewhat nice but that was last year.
Symantec is shutting down the best Internet filter ever created - K9 Web Protection, that has existed since 2006. I don't know what me and thousands of web addicts are going to do. My home life has turned terrible, people went totally mad.

Does anyone think 2020 will be the same as 2019, will we continue to see "dark" days?

Besides the attack on the mosque in Australia, which was heart-wrenching


You mean in New Zealand?

And then there was the attack on the church in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.  :\'(

And then there was the attack on the church in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.  :\'(


I heard. I hope by 2020, all of these world problems will decline, late 2018 till now sucks!

Ok, let's not overdramatize. World problems happen literally every year.

Ok, let's not overdramatize. World problems happen literally every year.
this is true but things seem to be getting out of hand on back to back occassions.

I heard. I hope by 2020, all of these world problems will decline, late 2018 till now sucks!


It always seems that somewhere around the world something is bound to happen almost every year.

Heck, even 2017 and 2018 are better than 2019. Sure, late 2010s culture is already very popular since autumn 2016, but it still had a lot of fun, colorful Mid 2010s elements like Shawn Mendes, Drake, Bebe Rexha, Alessia Cara, Dua Lipa, etc., and EDM was still very popular despite Trap was slowly killing it. 2017 had waaaaay more diversity in music, you had Spanish pop, EDM, Core 2010s pop, Pop Rock (Imagine Dragons and Shawn Mendes), Trap (When Trap was still kinda fun listening to), and lots more. 2018 is less diverse, but it wasnt just Trap at least.

2019 has only a small amount of mid 2010s elements, the rest are late 2010s.

Although I'm eye-rolling at a lot of opinions in this thread, I do notice fashion is getting darker and slightly more sinister looking. Health goth seems to be growing in some of the gyms I've been going to.

I don't remember so many tatoos and blue/purple hair on girls down the street in the early 2010s.

Ok, let's not overdramatize. World problems happen literally every year.
Agreed!

I don't remember so many tatoos and blue/purple hair on girls down the street in the early 2010s.


I've been seeing it a lot lately.

I don't remember so many tatoos and blue/purple hair on girls down the street in the early 2010s.
I can recall purple hair being around for several decades now.

But yeah, at the moment 2019 hasn't really been that dark. If anything, it's the least dark start of year since probably 2014. But we'll see how this year ultimately ends. I'm talking about society, not so much pop culture


Damn........

Welp.... like I said while 2019 was going on, and especially within the midst of this current crisis of epic proportions. 2019 wasn't that dark, per say, and with all of the craziness currently going on now in 2020, early 2019 is definitely going to be a blimp in history (minus the burning of the Notre Dame cathedral of course, that was pretty Earth shattering :\'(, along with the Mosque shooting, that was immensely grotesque).

Damn........

Welp.... like I said while 2019 was going on, and especially within the midst of this current crisis of epic proportions. 2019 wasn't that dark, per say, and with all of the craziness currently going on now in 2020, early 2019 is definitely going to be a blimp in history (minus the burning of the Notre Dame cathedral of course, that was pretty Earth shattering :\'(, along with the Mosque shooting, that was immensely grotesque).


2019 already seems light and happy, the good 'ol days by comparison. Other than bland pop culture and a few mass shootings and natural disasters, I only remember the good things about it.

Damn........

Welp.... like I said while 2019 was going on, and especially within the midst of this current crisis of epic proportions. 2019 wasn't that dark, per say, and with all of the craziness currently going on now in 2020, early 2019 is definitely going to be a blimp in history (minus the burning of the Notre Dame cathedral of course, that was pretty Earth shattering :\'(, along with the Mosque shooting, that was immensely grotesque).


When I look back on 2019's pop culture, it was an okay year. Not good, but not really bad either.

There were music I enjoyed like "Old Town Road", "bad guy", "Dancing with a Stranger", and "Good As Hell", "Suge", and "a lot", and movies I loved like Joker, Endgame, and Parasite.

Most of 2019's pop music to me was pretty bland and forgettable.

I hated the VSCO girl and e-boy/all-girl cultures and TikTok memes.

It was still a hectic year with Hong Kong and climate protests, mass shootings, Trump getting impeached, and the Notre Dame fire.

But 2019 is golden to what we're enduring in 2020.

When I look back on 2019's pop culture, it was an okay year. Not good, but not really bad either.

There were music I enjoyed like "Old Town Road", "bad guy", "Dancing with a Stranger", and "Good As Hell", "Suge", and "a lot", and movies I loved like Joker, Endgame, and Parasite.

Most of 2019's pop music to me was pretty bland and forgettable.

I hated the VSCO girl and e-boy/all-girl cultures and TikTok memes.

It was still a hectic year with Hong Kong and climate protests, mass shootings, Trump getting impeached, and the Notre Dame fire.

But 2019 is golden to what we're enduring in 2020.
The cinemas shutdown before I had my chance to see"Parasite".  :(

The cinemas shutdown before I had my chance to see"Parasite".  :(


That sucks.  :-\\ It really is a great movie.

That sucks.  :-\\ It really is a great movie.
Best Picture at the Oscars it had to be seen. Back in February, when I did get to a cinema, it was a choice between "1917" and "Parasite", the two films were on at the same time, and I chose the former, and I was pleased I did see that on the large screen (and wish to see it again soon).

Best Picture at the Oscars it had to be seen. Back in February, when I did get to a cinema, it was a choice between "1917" and "Parasite", the two films were on at the same time, and I chose the former, and I was pleased I did see that on the large screen (and wish to see it again soon).


I see. Both are great movies to me.

I see. Both are great movies to me.
O0

In the meantime, I have plenty of recorded film on the television to watch, and there is Netflix too.

I am waiting for a film channel to show "Contagion" , if there dare?

When I look back on 2019's pop culture, it was an okay year. Not good, but not really bad either.

There were music I enjoyed like "Old Town Road", "bad guy", "Dancing with a Stranger", and "Good As Hell", "Suge", and "a lot", and movies I loved like Joker, Endgame, and Parasite.

Most of 2019's pop music to me was pretty bland and forgettable.

I hated the VSCO girl and e-boy/all-girl cultures and TikTok memes.

It was still a hectic year with Hong Kong and climate protests, mass shootings, Trump getting impeached, and the Notre Dame fire.

But 2019 is golden to what we're enduring in 2020.
But saying 2019 is better than 2020 is a lot like saying Joseph Stalin is better than Adolf Hitler... 2019 is still junk nonetheless.

When I look back on 2019's pop culture, it was an okay year. Not good, but not really bad either.

There were music I enjoyed like "Old Town Road", "bad guy", "Dancing with a Stranger", and "Good As Hell", "Suge", and "a lot", and movies I loved like Joker, Endgame, and Parasite.

Most of 2019's pop music to me was pretty bland and forgettable.

I hated the VSCO girl and e-boy/all-girl cultures and TikTok memes.

It was still a hectic year with Hong Kong and climate protests, mass shootings, Trump getting impeached, and the Notre Dame fire.

But 2019 is golden to what we're enduring in 2020.


I don't remember a lot about 2019. I do remember Greta Thunberg and she was a big part of the climate change protests, may even have sparked it. Overall it was pretty uneventful and the pop culture was bland, but I also remember it as the last normal year before the pandemic.

I don't remember a lot about 2019. I do remember Greta Thunberg and she was a big part of the climate change protests, may even have sparked it. Overall it was pretty uneventful and the pop culture was bland, but I also remember it as the last normal year before the pandemic.

2019 was pretty eventful though. It was a transitional year for pop culture. This is when Billie Elilish became huge, Tik Tok was released, foldable phones were released, Greta Thunberg as you mentioned, The Mandelorean, the Star Wars sequel trilogy ended, etc. 2019 was huge in bringing in pop culture trends that would be popular for the early 2020s. It was definitely a changeful year for pop culture. 2019 was transitional for pop culture while 2020 was transitional for world events (pandemic) and politics (Biden getting elected) as well as continued changes in TV, music, and pop culture. But it is fair to say 2019 was pretty much the start year for early '20s music and pop culture, at least the second half was for sure. You got a ton new artists pop up that year.

You wanna talk uneventful and boring, look at 2018.  8-P

I think 2020 was more of the dark period.

2019 was pretty eventful though. It was a transitional year for pop culture. This is when Billie Elilish became huge, Tik Tok was released, foldable phones were released, Greta Thunberg as you mentioned, The Mandelorean, the Star Wars sequel trilogy ended, etc. 2019 was huge in bringing in pop culture trends that would be popular for the early 2020s. It was definitely a changeful year for pop culture. 2019 was transitional for pop culture while 2020 was transitional for world events (pandemic) and politics (Biden getting elected) as well as continued changes in TV, music, and pop culture. But it is fair to say 2019 was pretty much the start year for early '20s music and pop culture, at least the second half was for sure. You got a ton new artists pop up that year.

You wanna talk uneventful and boring, look at 2018.  8-P


Pop culture hardly changed besides star wars sequels, got and avengers ending. TikTok is Vine 2.0, foldable phones are a niche fad, Eilish turned out to not influence music at all after 2 years and no one has talked about the mandelorian since around the time the first western lockdowns began in march 2020. It's more like the calm before the storm.