Choppy hair layers, the extreme backcomb, bold colours and over-the-top edgy looks - it’s emo’s brightly-coloured big sister: Scene. The roaring 2000s are up for resurgence.
Find out how the Scene subculture revival came to be here.
Scene Subculture: A Quick Refresher
Scene Girl Screaming / Shutterstock
For those who have relished the MySpace era, the Scene subculture is a familiar whisper from the past that is slowly interweaving new narratives and visuals with the present.
If you’re in need of a quick refresher, this subculture sported iconic neon-heavy fashion choices that proliferated during our middle and high school years.
A Group of Scene Kids/ Shutterstock
Cropped Hair Woman With Artistic Makeup / Pexels
And who could forget all the angsty downloads of music on our phones that still had keypads (keyboards for those who are fancier)? The Scene trend found its way to stardom when MySpace rose in popularity from 2006 to 2009 as the most famous social media platform of that time. Since then, skinny jeans, brightly dyed hair, and music genres such as pop punk and electronic have unknowingly made their mark on history.
However, other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter emerged a few years later and made their way into the mainstream. MySpace eventually took a back seat, so did Scene.
Tiktok is the New MySpace
Enter Tiktok: the 2020’s MySpace. Aside from dance routines and think pieces crammed in 60-second videos, fashion and beauty hacks are incredibly popular on Tiktok. Like its predecessor, Tiktok has given a place for those who seek individuality and creativity, especially in times of uncertainty and perpetual monotony.
With a dash of nostalgia and desire for authenticity, the flames of the Scene subculture are relighted as Gen Z-ers search for that iconic “MySpace look”.
@powrice ive been requested to make this video forever, its kinda messy but here u go!! #emo #scene #scenehair #hairtutorial #punk #throwback #alt #scenekid ♬ Turbulent - Waterparks
@powrice’s Scene Hair Tutorial with Extensions
@trashmob_ Finally did a hair tutorial. 😅 #scenekid #scenehair #scenequeen ♬ original sound - ℝ𝕠𝕩𝕪 𝕂𝕒𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕒
@trashmob_’s Scene Queen Hair Tutorial
Scene’s social media rebirth started to gain traction in 2019, with the hashtag #twentyninescene making its rounds on the app. Here, TikTokkers film themselves exploring DIY razor cuts, extension application and hair styling tips to achieve the notorious voluminous Scene hair.
There are, however, slight differences. For one, the unintentionally exclusive subculture has drawn different body types, hair types, and people of colour into the community. The Scene trend has always been an act of soft rebellion against those that insist people look and behave a certain way, but it became more accessible. With an alternative take on fashion, from makeup to jewelry, Scene kids are able to express who they truly are.
Scene Never Died
Former Scene kids know one thing: the Scene culture never truly died; it simply evolved.
We’ve passed the baton to the younger generation who have taken a new spin on this nostalgic cultural phenomenon. The core of the Scene culture has always remained the same: to be unabashedly yourself, even if it means to go against the grain.
Embrace the alternative and let your true self shine.
References:
16 Scene Fads We Regret Partaking In - Alternative Press (altpress.com)
Scene culture beauty is back and it’s all TikTok’s fault | Dazed Beauty (dazeddigital.com)
Gen Z & The Return Of The 'Scene Queen' (centennialbeauty.com)
Scene Culture Is Back & Embracing A New Era Of Beauty (refinery29.com)
11 Scene Queens Who Influenced Your Alternative Style In The Mid 2000s — PHOTOS (bustle.com)