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ABBA is making TikTok feel nostalgic (again)

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A college of TikTok screenshots.

Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” had TikTok users exposing themselves with their favorite “Vecna” songs. Now, ABBA’s 1979 hit “Angeleyes” has TikTokkers revealing their past loves, unlocking core memories in me that I forgot I had.

Sometimes, when I’m lonely, I sit and think about…

TikTokkers have been using the sound, a sped-up version of “Angeleyes” by ABBA, to reminisce about the things they used to love, from television shows to discontinued candies. While I enjoy a good throwback from time to time, these TikToks have been more on the somber side. It’s clear that there are some things that the collective will not get over.

Characters that were written off too early in TV shows

A smiling Dr. Alexei sips on a beverage.

Gone too soon.
Credit: TikTok / lillieangela

Robb Stark solemnly stands in the woods.

Don’t talk to me about the Red Wedding.
Credit: TikTok / booktoktaylor

TikTok user @lillieangela reminded me that it’s been three years since we lost Dr. Alexei on Stranger Things. And I was just starting to forget that Robb from Game of Thrones existed until I saw @booktoktaylor’s tiktok.

Shows from our childhood

Oswald, an animated blue octopus, plays the piano.

The most comforting octopus.
Credit: TikTok / tooturnttina

Sagwa, an animated Siamese cat.

Can’t believe there was only one season.
Credit: TikTok / zoepatrick3

I’m convinced that Oswald was ASMR. Does anyone else remember that scene where Oswald cuts into a giant banana just perfectly? I still think about how much I used to love Sagwa, which was my introduction to the beauty of cats, and why I ended up adopting a mixed-Siamese kitten in my adulthood.

Food items that were discontinued

An open packet of Scooby Doo fruit snacks.

The blue ones just hit different.
Credit: TikTok / madelinewalseman

An open tin of mango Altoids sours.

I could go through an entire tin of these in one sitting.
Credit: TikTok / justjazzzyidk

Thanks to @madelinewalseman’s video, I actually learned today that the iconic blue Scooby Doo gummies are nonexistent now due to a formula change. I was also reminded of a core memory from my middle school experience: One time, I had left my Scooby Doo gummies on the table while I got up to get lunch, and when I returned, a classmate had eaten only the opaque blue gummies (which were obviously the best flavor). And a round of applause for the discontinued Altoids Sours, which I actually signed a petition to bring back. My taste buds are still grieving. 

Historical events that most people did not personally experience

A map of Pangea.

Thanks a lot, tectonic plates!
Credit: TikTok / feelthebern511

Two skeletons embracing each other in their gravesite.

I’m not crying, it’s just my allergies.
Credit: TikTok / x.x.gray

This is my favorite variation of the “Angeleyes” trend: nostalgia for a past that one never personally experienced, also known as “anemoia.” In @feelthebern511’s video, they mourn for Pangea, something I wasn’t nostalgic for until today. Just imagine how much we could save on airfare! And @x.xgray’s video reminded me of the “Lovers of Valdaro,” two 6,000-year-old skeletons that were buried in what seems like an embrace. 

While TikTok is collectively going through it, I’m reminded of a quote from another figure of nostalgia, Dr. Seuss: “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”