Madison Beer Says She’s Focused on the Present as a 2016 Trend Resurfaces, Admitting Her Teen Years Were Difficult
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The 26-year-old artist told Interview Magazine that she has no plans to join the revived 2016 trend.
Madison Beer has lived much of her life in the public eye, cultivating a loyal following while navigating adolescence under constant online attention.
At 26, and currently embracing the momentum of her latest album Locket, the singer is weighing in on social media’s latest wave of nostalgia — the claim that “2026 is the new 2016.”
Beer acknowledged the trend in a recent interview with Interview Magazine, saying she’s aware of it but feels far more grounded now than she did a decade ago. She shared that her life today feels significantly better than it did during that earlier period.
The resurgence has prompted celebrities and influencers to revisit their 2016 eras, with figures like Charlie Puth revisiting past hits and Hailey Bieber sharing throwback photos from the time.
Although many online users romanticize 2016 as a simpler era before hyper-polished digital culture took over, Beer admitted she doesn’t feel the same pull to return to it.
She noted that while there are amusing elements she remembers fondly — from popular music and Snapchat filters to viral challenges like the Mannequin Challenge — her personal experience as a teenager was far from easy. Because of that, she said she prefers to focus on the present rather than revisiting the past.
That said, Beer joked that if there were one thing worth keeping from that era, it might have been her wardrobe. She laughed that some of the clothes she wore at 17 would be back in fashion today.
When reflecting on what she might have done differently in 2016, Beer surprisingly pointed to family rather than career choices. She said she wishes she had spent more time with her younger brother, explaining that while he used to irritate her as a teen, the two are now extremely close.
Beer’s rise to fame began early. At just 13 years old, she caught widespread attention after Justin Bieber shared her YouTube cover of Etta James’ “At Last,” launching her into the spotlight almost overnight.
In a separate interview with Elle in April 2025, Beer revisited her early career and acknowledged that she doesn’t believe her experience would unfold the same way today. She explained that when she entered the industry, she didn’t feel adequately protected and felt she was judged as an adult rather than as a young teenager.
She added that being thrust into fame so young forced her to mature quickly, which took a lasting emotional toll. While she believes she has healed to some extent, Beer admitted the experience affected her deeply.