In December 2020 @yungricepatty uploaded a video to his TikToK. The video showed him sitting in his car listening to pop-punk band All Time Low’s 2007 song “Dear Maria, Count Me In.” As the video continues, he yells over the song “Mom, It Was Never A Phase, It’s A Lifestyle” and continues to sing the chorus of the iconic song. TikTok went viral, garnering over 8.2 million views in one month. Users began recreating the video, adding their own twists to commemorate their appreciation for their love of pop punk music.
Nostalgia is probably the culprit behind the millions of people who appreciated TikTok because it served as an ode to their personalities and styles. Punk music took off in the early 2000s, and many people remembered the days when studded belts, ripped jeans, and messy hair were all the rage. It was so “in” that the aesthetic was even adopted by some famous people in Hollywood for a while. Here’s a look at celebrities who have had some memorable punk/alternative phases in the past.
THE VIDEO OF THE DAY
8th Kelly Clarkson
It’s 2004 and 2002 American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson released a music video for “Since U Been Gone,” the lead single from her second studio album, Breakaway. Clarkson starred in the video with a newfound fiendish personality spiked with Converse sneakers, rock-n-roll hair and heavy makeup for black eyes. Clarkson’s vocals on the single, which was a kiss to a hypothetical ex, also sealed the deal for her newfound rocker style.
Clarkson would continue to incorporate the look into her style with studded belts and Michael Jackson-inspired gloves until eventually tapering off with age over the years.
7 Jared Leto
Actor and musician Jared Leto’s style has always been more offbeat than most, but the peak was definitely seen around 2005, when the actor shifted his focus to writing more music for his band 30 Seconds to Mars. Leto experimented with black hair, nails and a large amount of eyeliner. To match his borderline goth look, Leto dressed mostly in black, accessorizing him with scarves for a slightly more androgynous look.
As always, Leto’s style finally changed around 2008 – lighter clothing was incorporated along with hair dyed different colors.
6 Hilary Duff
Hilary Duff was the teenage idol seen as an angel compared to her then-nemesis Lindsay Lohan, who was known for reckless behavior. She was known for her wholesome image and girl-next-door personality. But the actress and singer experimented with dark looks that made her appear a bit more edgy to fans. In her music video for her 2003 single “Coming Clean,” Duff contrasted light-colored clothing with heavy, edgy makeup for dark eyes.
Duff’s music video for her third studio album single “Fly” featured the edgier look that has been compared to Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, with a studded belt, black clothing and rocker-inspired wrist jewelry.
5 peter wentz
Nobody was more known for his guyliner in the 2000s than Pete Wentz, bassist for the Fall Out Boys. The musician quickly became a tabloid after the band’s big break, From Under the Cork Tree, which went double platinum. In 2006, Wentz was known for his signature black emo haircut, super skinny jeans, and of course his guyliner. He even landed a small role in One Tree Hill as himself. Who could forget that iconic scene in which the girls shared a mirror with the rock star while they all did their eye makeup.
Nowadays, Wentz still dresses with a fringe but has toned down the emo look. Fans now even know what his eyes look like after he shed the black eyeliner.
4 Ashlee Simpon
What do you do when all the attention is on your sister Jessica Simpson, who is a blonde bombshell who was married to 98 degree stud Nick Lachey? You become her polar opposite and dye your hair black like Ashlee Simspon did. 2004 was the year of the younger Simpson sister, especially after she released her hit single “Pieces of Me.” Her rock-n-roll persona was dramatized even more when she teamed up with Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz in 2006. Though she ditched her jet black locks, Simpson’s eye makeup still remained dark while she was married to Wentz.
By the time they got divorced, the singer’s offbeat style was already transitioning into a more hipster-ish realm. She seems to have maintained this since her marriage to Evan Ross in 2014, fusing it with a boho-chic style that occasionally pays homage to her earlier style and adds dark additions.
3 rihanna
Long before she was too busy with her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, to care about releasing music, singer Rihanna was being lauded for her rocker style. She began incorporating slightly darker clothing into her style in 2008, but the look intensified after her then-boyfriend Chris Brown attacked her, paving the way for her fourth studio album, coincidentally named Rated R. In 2009, the singer sported heavier eye makeup, with studs on clothing and lots of leather that seemed to be fitting of a sad period following the messy end of their relationship.
2 rupa
Once upon a time, long before RuPaul’s Drag Race, legendary drag queen RuPaul fronted a punk band called Wee Wee Pole. Though a footnote in RuPaul’s career, his stint as a singer in the band is an ode to the early days of his journey when he was simply trying to make a splash in the entertainment industry. In an interview with Rachael Ray, RuPaul credits his mother for his wildness since those days.
“When it comes to my ability to be a self-starter and to rely on myself, that comes from my mother. My mother was very punk rock before anything like that existed. She was in a marriage that wasn’t working out and regretted making previous choices. She emphasized to us kids…don’t depend on other people, you need to be self-sufficient. And you have to be willing and able to be alone,” he said.
1 Demi Lovato
Who could forget singer Demi Lovato’s major stylistic change after getting her heart broken and releasing the music video for her single “Don’t Forget”. Lovato had introduced fans to a slightly more emo aesthetic than she remembered from her camp rock days, and eventually carried the style through to her second album Here We Go Again in 2009, which featured the music video for the single “Here We.” Go Again” delivered. Dressed in all black, with matching dark locks, the singer sang about an ex she couldn’t let go. Her style seemed like an ode to Australian pop duo The Veronicas, known for their jet black hair, dark eye makeup and narrative lyrics about breakups.
Although Lovato kept her rocker style in her back pocket ready for action, her style had softened shortly thereafter in 2011 when she released her third studio album Unbroken, which featured the lead single “Skyscraper.”
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