Which one would be the peak of this era?

I went with 2017-2018 but I can’t really say. I was in college back then and I wasn’t as invested in trends as much as I would have liked. But I do remember 2017-2018 had SZA and some really good underground R&B which kind of went mainstream the next following school year.

This was a tough one as those years ran together despite being very recent, it was all a blur. I voted for 2018-2019 but I can see how 2017-2018 was a peak as well with the Tide Pod challenge, March for Our Lives movement, Latin pop and Cardi B music.

I'm more comfortable with this question since I still freshly remember these years.

2017-2018: Mass shootings (Las Vegas, Sutherland Springs, Parkland, Santa Fe), March for Our Lives and school walkouts, trap and Soundcloud/mumble rap, Fortnite, iPhone X, Snapchat and Instagram, reggaeton, earrape/deep fried memes, #MeToo/Time's Up, Tide Pods, SJWs

2018-2019: TikTok, Old Town Road, Billie Eilish, trap and reggaeton (still), memes (still), cancel culture

I would personally pick the 2017-2018 school year because there were a lot more things that culminated within that period.

2017-2018 was the first full Trump year. Mass shootings were unfortunately rampant in this time period. The release of iPhone X revolutionized smartphones to become bezel-less. Soundcloud and Emo rap peaked with acts like Lil Pump and XXXTentacion. Trap absolutely dominated the music landscape with acts like Cardi B, Drake, Migos, Post Malone. Latin music continued it's popularity after Despacito with songs like Havana and Mi Gente. Fortnite became the new Minecraft with how unique looking it is and the dances were everywhere. Superhero movies like the Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War were the most-talked about films.

2018-2019 saw the rise of the new social media app, TikTok. It grew immensely popular and possibly overshadowing Instagram by now. Newcomers like Billie Eilish capitalized on the moody and vibey pop of the late 2010s. Songs like Thank U Next, Eastside, Sunflower, Without Me all part of the same trend of moody and vibey pop that absolutely dominated pop music of 2018-2019. Airpods began to be worn by many people after their shaky debut in late 2016. While the fashion got it's start in the previous school year, it was more established here with colorful stripe patterns, crop hoodies, curtain/permed hair, small t-shirts and baggy pants for girls being more apparent. Trap still continued dominance but it diversified rather keeping the pure Atlanta sound with songs like Sicko Mode and Old Town Road.

I pick 2017-2018 for now because I feel like a lot of trends in the 2018-19 would continue throughout the early 2020s.

I think TikTok will still be popular a year or two from now. I do think it'll die down by 2023. So I'm leaning towards 2017-2018.

I think TikTok will still be popular a year or two from now. I do think it'll die down by 2023. So I'm leaning towards 2017-2018.


I think so, too. TikTok will probably be remembered more in the early 2020s as it got massively popular in the tail end of 2019.

I think so, too. TikTok will probably be remembered more in the early 2020s as it got massively popular in the tail end of 2019.


Yeah, I associate TikTok with the 2019-2020 school year, along with Disney+/Mandelorean and of course the Coronavirus/quarantine.

I think so, too. TikTok will probably be remembered more in the early 2020s as it got massively popular in the tail end of 2019.

TikTok actually got popular in late 2018. The app officially became available in the United States in August 2018 and started to gain more popularity.

TikTok actually got popular in late 2018. The app officially became available in the United States in August 2018 and started to gain more popularity.


That's true, but I don't think it became a major household name until the summer of 2019 with the trends of VSCO girls and e-boy/e-girl culture.

That's true, but I don't think it became a major household name until the summer of 2019 with the trends of VSCO girls and e-boy/e-girl culture.

I don't know where you were but it was already popular here by early 2019. The only difference is it's at its ultimate peak right now.