Singer Lee Hyo-ri / Captured from "10 Minutes" music video By Pyo Kyung-min The vibrant colors and glossy textures of the Y2K aesthetics, short for the year 2000, referring to the styles and trends popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, have evolved into a widespread cultural phenomenon. No longer just a passing trend, these distinctive elements from around the turn of the millennium have captivated today's Gen Zers. The resurgence of early 2000s styles gained significant traction during the COVID-19 quarantine in 2020, as Gen Zers enthusiastically embraced these Y2K aesthetics as a means of both an escape and nostalgia.
What began as a love affair with its flashy appeal soon revealed a deeper resonance in a longing for the past. Years have passed, but the Y2K influences are still seen everywhere in the Korean entertainment industry and such aesthetics have found their way into various forms of K-content, striking chords of familiarity and nostalgia. A prime example is the recent wave of Gen Zers emulating early 2000s pop icons, with singer Lee Hyo-ri at the forefront.
A trendsetting figure of the era, Lee recently captured online attention with her signature Y2K style from past performances, sparking what's been dubbed the "10 Minutes Challenge." Inspired by Lee's 2003 hit " 10 Minutes ," featured on her debut solo album, "Stylish..
.," this challenge sees participants recreate her Y2K look, complete with sleeveless t-shirts, vintage caps, oversized hoop earrings and glam.