We Compared Music Videos From 2006 To Today's And It's Cringeworthy

A decade ago, artists like Fergie, Nelly and Justin Timberlake dominated Billboard's Hot 100. While some have stayed relevant ('cause let's be honest, JT will never not be), others have faded into the abyss. James Blunt couldn't possibly stay fresh in today's world, where pop music isn't cool unless it's electro or R&B. Let's look back at the music videos of yesteryear and pour one out for our fallen soldiers of 2006.

There's been a marked shift in hip movement since the days of Shakira. Her fairly innocent "Hips Don't Lie" routine shows small Colombian children clapping along merrily in the background, like a family-friendly party. Today, hips drop way lower and booties grind so hard they might as well come with an adult supervision disclaimer. 

I'm not saying Justin Timberlake isn't still sexy, that's a given... but "sexy" has definitely evolved since 2006. Take JT's "SexyBack" video, where he's dressed in a pressed suit, rocking a vest like a complete gentleman. Today Justin Beiber's broody bad boy hair, complete with chest tattoos and low-cut v neck tee makes it possible for artists like Zayn Malik to date Gigi Hadid.

Now look back again at Daniel Powter. Doesn't he kind of look like a weird neighbor, in retrospect?

In the "Promiscuous Girl" video, Nelly Furtado's belly shirt/belt combo is so 2006 it hurts. Who didn't own a bell sleeve blouse back then? Thanks to Kim Kardashian, musicians go for a lingerie-only look, which Selena Gomez flawlessly embraces in "Hands to Myself." 

Remember watching Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" music video and tripping out? Now it kind of looks like a desktop screen saver. Today, Zayn's "Pillowtalk" gets a high-tech blast of psychedelic lights and color, tears of blood and all. 

Watch just about any video from 2006, and you're likely to see the band rocking out on stage for 80 percent of the time, back when music was about instruments and stage time. 

In the age of synth, almost all music videos rely on a storyline or a theme that bridges the song and video together, sort of like a short film. Alessia Cara's "Wild Things" gives each character their own monologue, before the video even starts. "To me where the wild things are is a place that exists in our minds. It's a place of liberty and shamelessness. It can take a split second or a lifetime to find it, but once you do, you'll be free."

Back before production value was even a thing, there was nothing better than a sun-soaked filter as we watched Natasha Bedingfield lay in the grass. Now Taylor Swift literally films on location in New Zealand, complete with real wolves and freezing cold conditions. 

First of all, it's important to point out those blingy True Religion jeans in Fergie's "My Humps" video. Sooo mid-oughts. Moving on to the dance moves, that coordinated dance train is straight up juvenile-looking, now that we have Beyonce's complex "Formation" routine, which takes dancing to a high art.