Modern songs that sound like the 90’s

The trend has become too big to ignore.

2021 releases that give big 90’s vibes

Albums/ep
Erika de Casier - Sensational
Doss - 4 new hit songs EP

Songs:
Beabadoobee - last day on earth

Bruno Mars / Cardi B - Finesse

HAIM - now I’m in it

Japanese Breakfast - Be Sweet
Kitten - American Football
Olivia Rodrigo - Brutal
Pom Pom Squad - Head Cheerleader

"Good 4 U" much more so than "Brutal," IMO... (I think "Brutal" would have been dismissed as "poseur-ish" in the '90s, in a way that's not applicable now).

Grimes - Easily

Sounds heavily inspired by late 90s William Orbit

"Good 4 U" much more so than "Brutal," IMO... (I think "Brutal" would have been dismissed as "poseur-ish" in the '90s, in a way that's not applicable now).

― like a d4mn sociopath! (morrisp), Tuesday, May 25, 2021 1:54 AM (thirty-nine minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Fair, I'm maybe focusing on the Elastica resemblance too much.

Another big one:

Calvin Harris feat. Dua Lipa - One Kiss

Ella Mai - Boo’d Up

Also gives a strong 90s r&b sound

Robyn - Between the lines

Actually several songs from “honey” could qualify...

I mean, a lot of 1975 songs, but "Me & You Together Song"

Planet 1999 - party, replay... I guess their whole discography

Oh yeah another one from this year:

TDJ - lalala

Just overheard CLOVES - dead and thought it was a trip hop / industrial pop song from the late 90’s.

Reminds me of Garbage.

this London Grammar band sounds like Dido

This (good) Bachelor song nicks a bit from Superdrag's "Sucked Out" and weds it to some bits of Pixies and Breeders. Pretty '90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQihAil8-s0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCy8f7rbty0

Claud - "Guard Down"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ahcV_3oE6Q

Now Now - "SGL"

both of those specifically make me think of the 90s through the prism of the Daria soundtrack

From 2015 but maybe it qualifies... Heard this used as the theme song to a podcast and assumed it was a forgotten grunge record from 1993 or something:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2VUAi-sIYM

This is primarily what I've listened to since 5-6 years ago, so here's a few...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI4aHUVQBgI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM2oOEmDU3w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRWpY3TV-j4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU1JXOB52ZI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLcj0BrRvwM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXvBw1-TalQ

swearin': "parts of speech"

And all of this...

https://rosali.bandcamp.com/track/pour-over-ice
https://supercrush.bandcamp.com/track/get-it-right-2
https://sopharela.bandcamp.com/track/circle-the-drain
https://realworldmedia.bandcamp.com/track/green-room
https://dillydally.bandcamp.com/track/purple-rage
https://theglowtheband.bandcamp.com/track/heavy-glow
https://bbbrecords.bandcamp.com/track/shes-a-star
https://supermilk4u.bandcamp.com/track/mouth
https://bbbrecords.bandcamp.com/track/accelerate-now
https://narrowheadtx.bandcamp.com/track/night-tryst
https://ringodeathstarr.bandcamp.com/track/once-upon-a-freak-4
https://satanssatyrs.bandcamp.com/track/satans-satyrs-aint-that-lovin-you-baby

So it's confirmed "Good 4 U" sounds like 2007 lol.

Can't pinpoint what exactly this reminds me of, but probably something 90s
https://guardiansingles.bandcamp.com/track/being-alone

Actually it might have more of an 80s reference point, I'm now hearing Wipers...

Beabadoobee’s album is filled with these.

Clairo and WILLOW too.

everything by Gully Boys, but especially: https://gullyboys.bandcamp.com/track/im-not-yours

Momma gets a lot of Veruca Salt namedrops. Love this album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZWxWsEiGBQ

FLO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuUzZ7yz6AI

Thought this would be another good place to bring up the latest album from Sobs, power pop band from Singabore, which as morrisp put it in the Rolling INDIE 2021 thread, "it's so explicitly 1990s-sounding that you'll feel the Crystal Pepsi make your teeth hurt".

https://sobs.bandcamp.com/album/air-guitar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PAoFRUU7GQ

That being said, I think Crystal Pepsi would have been off the market by the time music like this was getting airplay. A better point of comparison might be Surge or Orbitz.

Yeah could be from late 90s Disney channel

haha... if I knew I'd be quoted, I would have checked Wikipedia!

(I shared that album with a coworker, who said - "I feel like I’ve been transported into a 90s teen movie")

Descends straight from the early years of MTV2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlSESFy2POo

^very "RIYL Pinback"

Huh, I wonder if they also ripped the hot dog break from YouTube

I do like that "Momma" track up there (caught the lyric "listening to Gold Soundz")

"Callin' Me" (track 9 on the album) is another highlight

"Tall Home" is cool and the production sounds "RILY Pinback" to me

The Momma album is definitely on repeat for me now... any other recs along those lines (poppy, Breeders-y, Salt-y)? The "Bachelor, Jay Som & Palehound" album mentioned above scratches a similar itch.

Maybe these?
https://jobber.bandcamp.com/track/no-holds-barred
https://oceanator.bandcamp.com/track/stuck
https://rosali.bandcamp.com/track/pour-over-ice

This is a Boris cover but I think it sounds Breeders-y
https://alexaloneworld.bandcamp.com/album/rainbow

Thx, will check 'em out!

I'm into the idea of this '90s-sounding stuff that's not weighed down by some of the cultural/aesthetic baggage of the era itself (if that makes sense).

More 90’s sounding stuff:

Twen - HaHaHome
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y7v7UNpoFI

Dope Lemon - Marinade
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ju-Qj8xFQk