There was a time when aesthetics ruled the internet, and Tumblr was the battleground.
You’d scroll past a GIF of Effy Stone crying, a black-and-white cigarette pic and a .wav file of something you’d hear once and never again. You romanticized loneliness, wore Doc Martens in July and lived by the flickering light of a MacBook camera and a Florence Welch quote you barely understood.
This playlist is not only a direct throwback but a spiritual sequel. Each of these tracks carries the residue of that era: lush, moody, chaotic and deeply online.
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Phantogram: “Fall in Love”
Dark and synth-heavy, this track sounds like rolling the windows down when it’s dark, as the street lights cast shadows through the car. -
Big Data and Joywave: “Dangerous”
This is a classic I'm sure a few have forgotten about. Glitchy and pulsing, it’s for that early morning walk through the halls. -
Lorde: “The Love Club”
Before she was a little more folk-adjacent, Lorde was Tumblr royalty. This song is pure outsider girl — cool, detached and way too self-aware for her age. -
Crystal Castles: “Suffocation”
A soundtrack for posting “I’m fine.” and meaning the opposite, blurry MacBook pictures and messy hair. -
Santigold: “Disparate Youth”
A personal favorite, this track is the anthem for those who blogged about smashing the system but still wore Jeffrey Campbells. -
Washed Out: “Feel It All Around”
Another classic, for my Portlandia lovers, you hear this and suddenly you’re in a dreamscape while the wind blows your hair, wondering what it all means. -
Arctic Monkeys: “Fluorescent Adolescent”
Every Tumblr girl alive reblogged Alex Turner lyrics with a cryptic caption. This one was for the girls who wore red lipstick and romanticized being jaded. -
Grimes: “Genesis”
One of the high priestesses of weird girl Tumblr. A recent classic, but “Genesis” was around with its ethereal, chaotic and undeniably influential track long before TikTok had its hands on it. A track made for whimsy, glitter and glitch. -
Phantogram: “When I’m Small”
Sorry, but you can't sleaze without Phantogram. This track is leather jackets, cute pictures of your overpriced lattes and a haunting yet hopeful feeling. -
Sky Ferreira: “Everything Is Embarrassing”
An actual Tumblr anthem. Sky was the It Girl of the sad girl internet, and this track is what you played while reblogging breakup quotes you didn’t relate to (yet). -
Three Days Grace: “I Hate Everything About You”
For those who were around when YouTube was the best place to post edits, an unexpected but iconic addition. This one’s for the inner emo who still lives in your Spotify Wrapped and your drafts. -
XXYYXX: “About You”
Lo-fi, echoey, and emotionally numb in the best way possible. This was the go-to track for aesthetic videos that made no sense but felt deep.
You can access the playlist here.
Nadirah Vander Linden is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at nav27@cornell.edu
‘Solar Flare’ is a weekly playlist column where Sun contributors spotlight a slice of musical taste with the campus community. It runs every Monday.
