Masuk Free Press

Every few years, the internet decides to rewind. Fashion trends like low-rise jeans come back, slang resurfaces and suddenly every time I open Instagram, someone is posting about “bringing back 2016.” However, if there is one thing that truly defined the era of pure internet culture, it was not just Musically, Vine or YouTube pranks, it was diss tracks. 

Some of the most viral moments online came from creators or influencers turning conflict into music. The iconic 2017 back-and-forth battle between Logan Paul and Jake Paul resulted in major hits like “It’s Everyday Bro” and “The Fall of Jake Paul”.  8 years later, the music videos combined have a total of 601 million views. 

“I remember It’s Everyday Bro being one of my favorite songs when I was younger, until Logan came out with his version,” said senior Ellianna Essenter. “I don’t even remember what the beef was about, but I can still sing some of the lyrics.” 

While at first, diss-tracks were between YouTubers, my personal favorite tracks were during the 2020 TikTok Influencer era, as it was some of the most memorable and entertaining moments. 

Tracks aimed at Lil Huddy by Josh Richards and Bryce Hall may not have been musical masterpieces in any way, but they captured the attention of people in a way that online drama today rarely does. The music video for their diss track, “Still Softish” now has 45 million views on YouTube.

“At least it was entertaining,” said senior Carmen Zhao. “The song wasn’t even that great, but I remember watching the music video like 8 times.”

For many, including myself, the gold standard of influencer diss tracks came from Larray’s “Cancelled”. His diss track stood out, as it wasn’t made to spread hate, and that’s exactly why it worked. Many of the influencers mentioned in the song willingly appeared in the music video, proving that the song was playful rather than malicious. Instead of fueling negativity, it turned drama into something that pulled the entire internet into one shared joke. Moments like that are rare now, and it’s part of why the diss track era feels so missed: it brought people together instead of tearing them apart.

“Cancelled is one of my favorite songs, I’m not going to lie,” said senior Ritiksha Patel. “I still sing it with all of my friends and surprisingly, they all know the lyrics too.” 

Even now, Masuk students in Mr. Casinelli’s creative writing classes are writing diss tracks.

“It was probably one of my favorite things we did all semester,” said senior Mary Morrison. “Turning my old beef with friends and other people into a song made it fun instead of stressful. That’s why diss tracks are such a fun thing and make them different.”

Diss Tracks are also not unknown in the senior class at Masuk High School.

“During our freshman year, Olivia Cusa and Grace Kearney made a diss track-like song to help them win class elections for student gov,” said senior class president, Chris Yuskas. “I still remember it being really fun and entertaining, so diss tracks like that should definitely make a comeback.”

What these moments show is that diss tracks are not just about the “beef” itself. Instead, they created a shared cultural experience as the songs were quoted and laughed about long after the drama unfolded. Unlike in today’s world, where online conflicts are often told through comment sections or disappearing stories, making diss tracks required creativity and effort. They turned tension into entertainment, which allowed it to become fun and playful instead of a source of negativity. 

Now, online dramas often feel forgettable, with arguments happening constantly and few leaving lasting impressions. Diss tracks, on the other hand, forced people to engage with the content they were seeing,  memorizing the lyrics for years to come. Even when the songs were not clever or were very cringeworthy, the result was a song that captures a specific moment in internet history that one can always look back on.

As the nostalgia for the mid-2010s continues to grow, the return of diss tracks should be inevitable and part of history. If everyone truly wants to bring back the 2016 vibes, maybe it starts with the thing that made internet drama unforgettable: the thing that even now, teenagers and adults can get hype to in the car or watch the music videos constantly. Maybe 2026 is the year diss tracks make their comeback, not to start fights and spread hate, but to remind us that the internet can still be a place for fun.