We've hit 2024 running, but our hearts are still a decade behind us, forever nostalgic for a magical year called 2014. It was a time of what seemed like peace and unity on the internet – young people everywhere coding their Tumblr themes to pay homage to The 1975, Maybelline Baby Lips lip balms and Starbucks drinks. The pages of Rookie magazine (RIP) our bible, the sounds of Arctic Monkeys' recently-released album AM our worship music.
Now, a decade on, there's still a mass yearning for that time period – particularly from Gen Z-ers who weren't quite old enough to experience it as a teenager just yet. So below, we thought we'd take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of the most memorable moments, trends and styles from 2014.
1. That Oscars selfie with Ellen broke the internet
If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) March 3, 2014
It's a bit cringey now, but Ellen really broke the internet with this one, beating the at-the-time record for most number of retweets.
2. Iggy Azalea's Fancy music video was released
Arguably still one of the most iconic and recognisable music videos of the 2010s, Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea's career pretty much reached a fever pitch in 2014 when she released the Clueless-themed music video for her new single Fancy. I don't know many people now who couldn't recite to you those infamous first few bars.
3. Jimmy Fallon took over The Tonight Show
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Crazy, right? It feels like Fallon has been hosting the show for as long as we can remember, but he actually started in 2014, taking over from Jay Leno.
4. The Fault in Our Stars film adaptation was released
What was the early 2010s on the internet without the ubiquitous presence of John Green novels? Green's biggest-selling novel The Fault in Our Stars, was adapted for film in 2014, starring Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort (two of young Hollywood's biggest rising stars at the time).
5. Arctic Monkeys and The 1975 were on repeat
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Both British indie-rock bands had released big records at the end of 2013, and were on repeat for most of the following year. The 1975's self-titled debut put them firmly on the music map internationally (and on the Tumblr mood boards of teen girls everywhere), while Arctic Monkeys established themselves as a more mature rock band with their fifth studio album AM.
6. Glossier was born
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Where would we be without Boy Brow? Officially launched in 2014 by Into The Gloss founder Emily Weiss, cult beauty brand Glossier redefined what it meant to be a beauty business – from copy to aesthetics to products. Their no-makeup-makeup approach to the industry was pretty earth-shattering at the time, and has spawned about a billion copycats (and dollars in revenue) in the decade since.
7. Flannels, checks and denim galore
2014 was peak softcore grunge era – a trend that probably spawned from the type of outfits our favourite singers were wearing on stage at the time (we see you Halsey). We were wearing flannel shirts, checked skirts and of course, denim jackets and skinny jeans.
8. Tumblr ruled the internet
It's hard to think of a year more influential for Tumblr – 2014 was a time when all we seemed to want to do was reblog photos of our favourite Victoria's Secret models and British YouTubers alongside memes and aesthetically pleasing images of our latest Starbucks drink. The platform hasn't really regained its popularity ever since – a crying shame if you ask me.
9. Coloured hair
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Coloured hair really had a mainstream moment in 2014 – I think just about everyone tried to dip-dye their ends, or bleach and colour a single strip of their hair that year. It was the era where idols like Halsey and King Kylie ruled supreme with their blue mops, so it's little wonder we were all obsessed with getting our paws on the nearest tub of Manic Panic hair dye.
10. Galaxy print
Honestly kind of glad to be leaving this one behind, but in 2014 the internet was pretty obsessed with the 'galaxy print', which ended up on leggings, dresses, shoes and just about everything in between. It was a big time for brands like BlackMilk Clothing, and more recently luxury brands like Dior in their AW22 show have tried to resurrect the print.
11. Dr Martens reigned supreme
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Dr Martens have enjoyed many decades of popularity, but none that seem to top the year 2014. Whether you were rocking the school-shoe docs or a pair of lace-up Jadons, the Doc was about as ubiquitous as their 2010s counterpart – the Converse Hi-Top – but with a little more staying power we think.
12. Cara Delevigne
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Cara Delevigne was the one supermodel to rule them all back in the early 2010s, and she was a force to be reckoned with across runways, billboards and was even beginning to transition into the acting world (a John Green book adaptation, obviously). Delevigne was already marching down the Victoria's Secret runway, was besties with Harry Styles, and honestly, who else can we credit with the bold eyebrows trend that held us hostage and sold many an Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade?
13. Lana Del Rey
No mention of 2014 would be complete without mention of Lana Del Rey. The singer was riding the high of her newest album, Ultraviolence, in 2014, and carved out an aesthetic all of her own that included that Priscilla Presley-inspired cat eye and bouffant, coupled with the Americana uniform of denim cutoffs and summer dresses.
