LA Music Review | Art, stories and advice
Nostalgic, relatable and totally exciting!
Remember when a song could instantly take you back to a certain year, a first crush, a road trip, or simply a time when life felt a little different?
Well, our kids are discovering those songs now, and they’re loving them.
TikTok recently named Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away” its Global Song of the Summer for 2026. The song was released more than a decade ago, yet it has found a whole new audience among younger listeners.
And suddenly, something beautiful is happening millennial moms and their Gen Z and Gen Alpha kids have a new musical language to share.
For moms who grew up with the pop hits of the 2000s and 2010s, hearing an old favorite playing from their child’s phone can feel like opening a time capsule. The difference is that this time, we’re not the ones introducing the music. TikTok is.
From forgotten pop hits to old-school music, songs that once belonged to our generation are being rediscovered, remixed, turned into trends and given new meaning. Even songs released years or decades ago can suddenly become part of a younger generation’s soundtrack.
And perhaps that’s the magic of nostalgia. You don’t necessarily have to live through an era to feel connected to it.
For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, an old song isn’t necessarily “old.” It’s simply something they haven’t discovered yet.
For us moms, it’s a chance to say, “Wait… you like this song too?” And just like that, the generation gap gets a little smaller.
Maybe that’s what makes this trend more than just another TikTok moment. Music has always had the power to connect people, but today, technology is giving generations a chance to rediscover those connections together.
So the next time your kid plays a song you haven’t heard in years, don’t complain about their “old music.”
Sing along.
Because for them, it’s new.
And for you, it’s a memory coming home.
LA Music Review 