It seems like the only thing I write about is fads from the 2000s, but can you blame me? It was a glorious decade to live in. Don't even get me started on the bops we were served with! *Nsync, Britney Spears, and Kelly Clarkson are only a few of the artists to top the charts during the mark of this millennium.
However, I got to thinking when I saw this tweet.
Barrett Luci / Twitter
Britney Spears's pop masterpiece “Circus," the song providing Barrett with his punchline, is 10 years old. Yeah, you read that correctly. It was released a decade ago. How many other songs did I forget came out ten years ago?
1. “Womanizer” by Britney Spears
We'll start this list off easy with another pop masterpiece by the legendary Miss Britney Spears: “Womanizer," off her 2008 album Circus. This song is fun and flirtatious, not to mention Spears's first comeback single after the 2007 umbrella incident and tragically iconic MTV Video Music Awards performance of "Gimme More." Till this day, I still think about the looks she serves in this video.
2. “Mrs. Officer” by Lil Wayne
It's not news that Lil Wayne is a legend in the hip-hop community. 2008 seemed to be his year with songs like “Mrs. Officer," “Lollipop," and “A Milli." The moment you hear the hook of “Mrs. Officer" and Wayne's notable impression of police sirens, you'll definitely be taken back ten years. When your younger siblings, cousins, or nieces and nephews ask “what is this?" that's when your age will hit you.
3. “Burnin’ Up” by the Jonas Brothers
If you don’t know all the lyrics to this song, where even was your childhood? “Burnin’ Up” is a staple of the Jonas Brothers’ discography, not to mention its unexpected verse by their bodyguard, Big Rob. Also, the music video is just so good! It even features a cameo by fellow Disney darling Selena Gomez.
4. “Damaged” by Danity Kane
This song is the sole reason I’m even writing this article. If I’m being honest, THIS is my national anthem. Danity Kane is the work of Sean Diddy Combs, and I thank him every day not only for the girl group that is DK, but for his monologue at the end of this song: “Sometimes you gotta go through the pain to experience the joy. This too shall pass.” We all felt that. “Damaged” is also a wake-up call for 20-year-old me, helping me acknowledge that it’s okay to be emotionally damaged. The vocals on this iconic bop are insane, the visual is very pink and unusual and just screams 2008. In my book, “Damaged” goes down as one of the greatest girl group songs of all time.
5. “Single Ladies” by Beyoncé
When Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, he said “Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time" in reference to “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)." West wasn't wrong— Queen Bey graced us with not only the single girl's anthem for years to come, but with an iconic black and white visual and indelible choreography. No one will ever forget the robotic glove and sassy hand movements that came along with it. “Single Ladies" was also the birth of Bey's alter ego, Sasha Fierce.
6. “Don’t Trust Me” by 3OH!3
Before collaborations with Kesha and Katy Perry, 3OH!3 graced us with “Don't Trust Me" and taught us all how to "do the Helen Keller and talk with our hips." I had the pleasure of watching 3OH!3 at the final Warped Tour, and I can honestly say I've never felt more accomplished than when I sang (actually, screamed) along “Tell your boyfriend if he says he's got beef, that I'm a vegetarian and I'm not f***ing scared of him." This song was truly ahead of its time, and although the 3OH!3 hype was short-lived, the hype for “Don't Trust Me" will last forever.
7. “Love Lockdown” by Kanye West
“Love Lockdown" was the world's introduction to Kanye West's now iconic record, 808s & Heartbreak. West debuted the single at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, before songs like "Heartless" and "Paranoid (featuring Mr. Hudson)" hit the radio. This is one of our last memories of Kanye before the infamous on-and-off Taylor Swift feud.
8. “When I Grow Up” by the Pussycat Dolls
If "Be careful what you wish for 'cause you just might get it" wasn't part of your daily mantra already, this song reminds you that it should be. Full of misheard lyrics and life lessons made fun, "When I Grow Up" is one of the plenty songs that put PCD on the map as a burlesque-gone-mainstream girl group like no other.
