Why we keep returning to the things that once shaped us

There’s a certain feeling that hits when something familiar suddenly reappears: an old song on your feed, a trend you swore you had left behind, a show you once watched religiously now making sense in a completely different way. It’s not surprise so much as recognition. Cultural deja vu has quietly become the mood of the moment, and nostalgia is its driving force.

Across fashion, music, film, and pop culture, we are seeing a collective return to what once shaped us. Not because the past was perfect, but because it feels grounding in an era that’s constantly shifting. For a generation navigating adulthood and change, revisiting these cultural touchstones offers comfort and connection. And from there, everything else follows.

When fashion looks back to move forward

Low-rise everything, rhinestones, and baguette bags have returned with a confidence that feels almost defiant. The revival of Y2K fashion isn’t just about aesthetics, it is about revisiting a time that felt simpler, louder and more playful. For many women in their late 20s and 30s, these silhouettes echo teenage years spent experimenting, rebelling and finding identity. Wearing them again isn’t about copying the past, it’s about reclaiming it, this time with better styling and stronger self-assurance.

Old songs, new emotions

There’s something deeply comforting about hearing a familiar melody dressed in a new sound. Remix covers of cult tracks like Priyanka Chopra’s reimagined take on Last Christmas, tap straight into emotional memory. These remixes work because they bridge who we were with who we are now, allowing nostalgia without feeling dated. It’s familiarity with a fresh filter.

Bollywood’s love affair with the past

From remade cult songs to full-blown musical callbacks, Bollywood is leaning hard into nostalgia. Films like Dhurandhar reworked familiar cult tracks like Monica and Hawa Hawa because they already carry cultural weight. These songs come pre-loaded with memory, meaning, and emotion. 

Of course, the risk lies in overdoing it, but when done right, a remake can feel like a respectful nod rather than a lazy repeat.

Rewatching teenage dramas as grown women

Women in their late 20s and 30s binge-watching teenage dramas isn’t ironic, but rather emotional. Watching those storylines of Vampire Diaries, Riverdale and Never Have I Ever hit differently when you have lived through heartbreaks, friendships falling apart and the slow process of becoming yourself. What once felt aspirational now feels relatable. 

Why nostalgia feels so powerful right now

In a world that feels constantly uncertain, nostalgia offers emotional grounding. Cultural deja vu gives us comfort without demanding too much effort, because we already know how it made us feel once. Whether it’s through fashion, music, or storytelling, looking back helps us make sense of the present. And maybe that’s why we keep returning to it and the showrunners are banking on it, not because we want to live in the past, but because it reminds us of who we have always been.

Lead image: Netflix, IMDb and Getty

Also read: How to reclaim your rhythm after the holiday daze, at work and beyond

Also read: How women are rewriting pop culture on their own terms