Madison Beer says she prefers the present amid ‘2026 is the new 2016’ trend

In January 2026, pop singer Madison Beer told Interview Magazine she isn’t drawn to the viral “2026 is the new 2016” nostalgia trend, adding, “I definitely feel way better in my life now than I did then.” The 26-year-old, riding the creative wave of her latest album Locket, said she prefers to stay in the present.

The trend has seen celebrities and influencers revisiting fashion, music and social media moments from that era, with stars like Charlie Puth sharing throwbacks to his 2016 hits and Hailey Bieber reposting decade-old pictures. Beer acknowledged there are “nostalgic moments from 2016” — the music, the Snapchat filters and the Mannequin Challenge — but said she isn’t inclined to relive the period because, “as someone who did not have the best time in my teenage years, I definitely prefer to stay in the now, honestly.” When asked what she might have kept from that era, Beer joked she would have held on to “maybe some clothes, because I feel like a lot of clothes are coming back in style that were popular then,” referring to items from when she was 17.

Beer also reflected on what she might have done differently, saying she “probably would've hung out with my little brother more” because he used to annoy her as a teen and they are now close.

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