Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Since the start of 2026, social media has time traveled a decade back to 2016. Publications are digging up iconic pop culture moments from the year and my peers are reliving their childhoods on Instagram.

Personally, 2016 was a year filled with mischievous disregard for middle school, immature jokes with my friends and films and music that shaped my love for media today. Here are my favorite movies and songs from 2016 that transport me back to a world of funny Snapchat filters and skinny jeans.

“La La Land”
If there was a musical that perfectly represents 2016, it’s “La La Land.” The movie’s whimsical nature is the best encapsulation of the pure joy I felt during the year. Perhaps one of the greatest “right-person, wrong-time” romance tropes, “La La Land” is a bittersweet musical filled with unforgettable songs and performances.

Though the film was released in December 2016, “La La Land” takes me to a warm summer’s day in Los Angeles, envisioning my 12-year-old self dreaming of falling in love with “the one.” Though “La La Land” is filled with greatly composed original songs, the lightheartedness of “Another Day of Sun” takes me back to a time where I was living life care-free.

“Deadpool”
When my parents snuck my sister and I into the theater to watch “Deadpool” in February 2016, none of us knew how violent and foul-mouthed the R-rated film was, especially for a superhero movie (in all fairness, I had seen my fair share of R-rated films at this time).

While many kids would shy away from such a graphic film, I was immediately drawn to it. Ryan Reynolds, the movie’s star, writer and producer, gave superhero nerds a movie they’d never seen before. “Deadpool” was funnier than it was violent and Reynolds was charming (in his own, weird way).

“Deadpool” shaped my love of superhero movies forever.

“Captain America: Civil War”
Similar to “Deadpool,” “Captain America: Civil War” showed an edgier side of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In “Captain America: Civil War,” Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) disagree over whether the Avengers should handle dangerous threats, splitting the entire team of superheros in half.

“Captain America: Civil War” doesn’t sugarcoat this conflict. In fact, as an avid MCU fan, seeing my favorite characters battle against each other breaks my heart. Acting performances from the entire cast was one of the best in the MCU and the existing conflict kept me at the edge of my seat.

After a number of impressive releases from MCU, “Captain America: Civil War” was the perfect film to cap off the Avengers era before “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Avengers: Endgame.” (Team Iron Man forever).

“Arrival”
Maybe one of the best sci-fi films of all time, “Arrival” superbly combines themes of grief and depression with the eeriness of unknown aliens. It’s a deep film that requires more than one watch to fully understand it.

A stunningly shot film, “Arrival” centers around linguistic professor Louise Banks (Amy Adams) who is unexpectedly called by the U.S. Army to communicate with the aliens.

As a 12-year-old, the movie’s deep themes changed the way I viewed sci-fi films and bereavement. Though I needed several explanations from my dad, it is still a great film (especially after my second watch).

“Broccoli” by DRAM featuring Lil Yachty
Though “Broccoli” is DRAM’s one hit wonder, it takes me back to forcing my parents to play the song on loop in the car and the endless memories of making Musical.ly videos with my friends after school. The original TikTok, Musical.ly was a popular video platform that averaged 100 million monthly users before shutting down on Aug. 2, 2018 following ByteDance’s acquisition of the app.

“Broccoli” was also my introduction to Lil Yachty. While DRAM showcased a catchy melody, it was Lil Yachty that stole the show. Lil Yachty offered a cheeky layer that heightens the fresh energy. Also a popular song with the former six-second video app Vine, “Broccoli” is reminiscent of childhood mischief and disobedience.

“Black Beatles” by Rae Sremmurd
2016 was full of iconic trends and dances. From “Hit the Quan” to “Juju on That Beat” dances, one trend that is forever ingrained in my brain is the “Mannequin Challenge.”

As the name suggests, the “Mannequin Challenge” involves a group of people who stop whatever they’re doing — whether they’re in the middle of a run or watching TV — where someone then records the group to Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles.”

Admittedly, “Black Beatles” isn’t a perfect song. It falls on the slower side, however, the impact it’s had with the “Mannequin Challenge” will forever remain a legendary 2016 classic.

“Dangerous Woman” by Ariana Grande
In between her “Victorious” and “Wicked” eras, Ariana Grande flaunted a risqué side that I associate with her the most. While I’m not much of a pop fan, “Dangerous Woman” brings pop and flirtatiousness together, a combination that stood out from the constant churning of shallow pop songs of that time.

While Grande’s entire “Dangerous Woman” album sticks out from the rest of her discography, the song of the same name sticks out the most for its burlesque rhythm. While not the most age-appropriate, “Dangerous Woman” makes me yearn for Grande’s most iconic era.

“Pink + White” by Frank Ocean
While 2016 was a year of EDM and pop songs, Frank Ocean’s “Blonde” album signifies the polar opposite, with “Pink + White” being my favorite in the album. The slower pacing and tragic lyrics represent 2016’s thriving R&B scene.

Whenever I was upset for whatever reason, “Pink + White” was my go-to song to get into the feels (to this day, I can’t listen to the song without tearing up). “Pink + White” is heartbreaking, solemn and bleak while adding soothing tones that puts me in a trance.

Published on January 27, 2026 at 9:42 pm
Contact Tara: tabintes@syr.edu