Come as you are: are we entering grunge 2.0?

Nirvana was the unlikely soundtrack of my art classes in middle school.

Here we were in the height of grunge, expressing ourselves through paints, markers, paper and clay. Catholic school uniform wearing kids sitting around long tables, chatting, and listening to what was the rawest music we’ve ever heard in our lives.

Looking back, I cannot believe we got to listen to Nevermind in a Catholic school, but it was my friend Evan’s request nearly every week. Even was so in tune with what was happening. He turned us all onto the grunge scene. Soon enough we were all wearing flannel shirts outside of school.

We didn’t realize it then, but we weren’t only attracted to the sound. We wanted to be a part of something.

Today, I believe we are starving for exactly that again.

If you’ve been feeling a little analog lately, you aren’t alone. Have you noticed the resurgence of journals? Fountain pens? The way people are dusting off old film cameras and actually printing out photos again?

Me? I’ve always been obsessed with pens and paper. In fact, I sketched this newsletter out on a legal pan with my Sailor fountain pen.

There is a shift happening. My nerdy interests aren’t so out of the mainstream anymore.

We are drowning in an abundance of “AI slop” – the generic, algorithmic noise that feels as manufactured as a Milli Vanilli song. In response, we are collectively craving something else.

Realness.

We’ve heard this song before.

The Great Flush of 1991

If you turned on the radio in the late 1980s, you knew exactly what you were getting.

It was the era of massive production. Drums were either machines or Phil Collins-like with a big sound. Synthesizers were polished to a mirror sheen. And the bands? They were monuments to excess. Remember the teased hair, spandex, and power ballads?

Enter the static.

In 1991, a few kids from Seattle plugged into muddy amplifiers and screamed. Grunge didn’t sound like the radio. It sounded like a garage. It was raw, unpolished, and angry. But more than anything, it was honest.

When Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden took over, they didn’t just change the sound. They tore down the wall between the band and the audience. They wore the same flannel shirts as the kids in the front row. They played with their backs to the crowd. They weren’t trying to be stars. They were trying to feel something.

The 80s were about image. The 90s became about community.

People were done with the hairspray. They wanted the human.

My 2026 Predictions

We are entering our Grunge Era of marketing.

Just like the transition from hair metal to grunge, the transition into 2026 will be defined by a rejection of the slick and the artificial.

AI was everywhere in 2025.

It isn’t going away in 2026, either. But our relationship with it must evolve.

Relying on AI to do all of the work is just modern lip-syncing – you might hit every note perfectly, but the audience won’t feel a thing.

The way to stand apart from the noise is to be yourself. To write your words.

Here is what I see happening in 2026, driven by two words: Emotion and Trust.

1. The Inbox as a Sanctuary: Newsletters will only grow in importance. Social media algorithms are designed to create silos, but email creates connection. The inbox is the only place where you speak directly to your audience without a gatekeeper. It is the best way to cut through the noise and build a community that actually hears you.
2. The Return of Long-Form: Micro-content is fleeting. Stories stick. We are seeing a swing back toward long-form content on platforms like Substack (hello!) and blogs. Your audience will stay as long as you make them feel something. Stop just informing them – that’s what Google is for. Tell stories.
3. AI is the Roadie, Not the Rockstar: AI is a tool. It is there to help you load the gear, check the sound levels, and map out the tour route. It is a partner for the process. But it should never write the song. Your creativity and your words belong to you. Use AI to handle the drudgery so you have more energy to be a creative human.
4. The “TikTok-ification” of E-Commerce: Online selling is moving entirely to personal recommendations. We are already seeing this on TikTok Shop, where the “who” matters more than the “what.” It isn’t about million follower influencers, either. In 2026, expect this 1-click, creator-led purchase model to dominate eBay, Etsy, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a version of this finally crack the code on Pinterest. We buy from people we trust.
5. Video: The “Unpolished” You: People want to see people. Your videos don’t need to be slick with the best lighting set up. They want the behind-the-scenes. They want to look in your eyes and see what you actually do. YouTube remains a top search engine for a reason – it’s the home of the “how-to” and the “day-in-the-life.” The winning video strategy for 2026 isn’t cinematic. It’s authentic.

The 1980s tried to trick us into thinking perfection was the goal. The 90s reminded us that connection matters more.

What are your predictions for 2026?

As we head toward 2026, don’t worry about being perfect. Worry about being real.