Last week the American pop band the Jonas Brothers announced their reunion, a comeback that sent 20-year-olds into a frenzy. A similar reaction followed the announcement that Jesse McCartney will perform at the University of Wyoming.
Are the now-grown babies of the 1990s and early 2000s suckers for their childhood celebrities, shows, toys and anything that reminds them of a time when they weren’t worrying about “adulting”? As kids all they had to worry about were things like making sure they get home from playing in time to watch “High School Musical” or making sure they had good Silly Bandz to trade at recess.
“I think our generation is so nostalgic because we take being young and relatively free of responsibility for granted and we’re put under a lot of pressure in college and in life,” said senior Brooke Meyers. “So when we hear or see things that remind us of our childhood or even just a time when we had less to worry about it takes us back to that and makes us miss being that age. I think childhood stars are able to make such huge comebacks because we love things that make us nostalgic and give us a way to feel carefree again even if it’s just for a little while.”
After trying to do “adult things” for the first time, some want to relive the much simpler days of childhood instead of worrying about the rest of their lives in a very real way. The changes that come with growing up impact everyone, and looking at these stars after they have gone through these hardships themselves can be seen as hopeful for some.
“After watching some stars from my childhood go through difficult times with addiction or mental health and eventually coming back into the spotlight as a better person is inspiring,” said junior Luke Sanchez. “It makes me feel like there are hard times, but in the end things do work out.”
With this reintroduction to the spotlight, many stars have changed, but that is not stopping fans from looking back on their childhood. Jonas Brothers fans look back on Camp Rock and still listen to songs such as “Year 3000” and “Burnin’ Up,” while many Jesse McCartney fans have been hopeful to hear his classic “Beautiful Soul” at his concert.
“I think our generation grew up in such a digitized world that we are nostalgic for simpler times,” said sophomore Sadie Gruntmeir. “Honestly, it makes me feel like I’m in middle school all over again and that’s equal parts exciting and terrifying. It’s cool to see how child stars have grown and changed over the years.”
Children from the 1990s and early 2000s have watched their favorite stars make a quick exit from the spotlight and waited as they come back into the spotlight just as quickly. From Jesse McCartney making a stop in Laramie to the Jonas Brothers releasing new music and many other rumored comebacks, this generation’s nostalgia may in fact become reality again. The year 2019 may actually be an entire generation reliving 2007.
