Hold on, are we in a time warp? Kylie Jenner has pink hair, ballet flats are everywhere, and flip phones are experiencing a resurgence - you wouldn't be remiss to think the clock striking 12am on January 1, 2024 had instead catapulted us back to 2014.
Which is exactly the reaction Miss Jenner was aiming for when she debuted her bubblegum-pink tresses for the world to see on Wednesday, captioning a TikTok of her new locks with: "Heard its 2014 vibes this year [sic]."
The pink mane is a clear throwback to her infamous 'King Kylie' era about a decade ago, when a then-teenaged Jenner was heralded as a Tumblr icon for her bold hair colours - including that blue ombré of 2014 - and changed her Instagram handle to 'King Kylie' as a nod to then-boyfriend Tyga, or 'King Gold Chains'. 2015 was also the year Jenner launched her internet-breaking Kylie Lip Kits, marking the beginning of the Kylie Cosmetics we know today. This is the stuff of legend.
Debuting her new Barbie tresses for her almost 400 million followers on Instagram, the 26-year-old shared a series of car selfies with the caption: "hiiiii remember me [sic]."
Fans have been quick to applaud Jenner's nostalgic return to her roots (pun intended), with a single comment on her TikTok declaring "King Kylie era" already amassing over 129,000 likes.
"King Kylie we missed u," another wrote, while a third added: "King Kylie era was so iconic."
The reaction has been similar on Instagram, with the top comment from pop culture account @velvetcoke reading: "THIS IS NOT A DRILL KING KYLIE IS BACKK [sic]."
"We want blue ombré King Kylie back," another exclaimed, while singer Kiya Juliet simply wrote: "KING KYLIE. IM DECEASED."
As you can see, this is a pretty big deal for us older Gen-Z/young millennial audiences; so much so, that new analysis of Google data shows online searches for 'pink hair dye' skyrocketed by 1443 percent worldwide just hours after Jenner debuted her new look.
Jenner's bold switch-up comes as bright colours make a comeback in the fashion and beauty space, with influencers moving away from the 'sad beige' aesthetic and neutral palettes that have long ruled supreme in favour of bolder hues. Think red, which has been one of the most popular colours on the red carpet so far this awards season, and the cultural phenomenon that was Barbie last year.
Whether or not the mum-of-two decides to bring back the turquoise-teal tresses of 2014 remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain: King Kylie is back - for now.
