Raw images, no filters: Why MySpace fans want it back as relaunch hinted

For Monticah Hawkins, a 31-year-old real-estate agent in Atlanta, MySpace was more than just a website – it was a ritual. She claims that users could be authentic on MySpace, upload raw images without filters, and express themselves without fear of judgment. MySpace, once the world's largest social network, is reportedly considering a comeback.

Its owners, brothers Tim and Chris Vanderhook, have hinted at relaunching the platform, though no specifics have been disclosed. A spokesperson for Viant, the company that owns MySpace, confirmed they have no updates to share at the moment. However, the mere notion of a return has rekindled nostalgia among those who remember the MySpace era over two decades ago.

It was a time when personal pages were messy, loud, and deeply individual. This has also attracted the attention of creators such as Melissa Kristin, a TikTok star with over 900,000 followers, who grew up on MySpace. She recalls it as a more personal digital space that shaped her online expression today. Kristin believes a revived MySpace should prioritize personal connection over performance, focusing on fostering genuine connections rather than merely generating engagement.

MySpace launched in 2003 and rapidly became a cultural hub, aiding artists like Arctic Monkeys, Adele, and Nicki Minaj in building early audiences. However, its highly customized pages, auto-playing music, and busy layouts eventually became a drawback. With Facebook's sleeker, simpler design, MySpace lost its appeal and struggled through redesigns and ownership changes before fading from mainstream use.

Marketing experts argue that any comeback will hinge on learning from past mistakes. Dr Alexa Fox, a marketing professor at the University of Akron, suggests that MySpace's original strengths – music, creativity, and personal expression – could still resonate if the platform became more user-friendly, with less coding involved. Alex Mills, a social media strategist, acknowledges that the appeal of a feed without algorithms was also the reason for its decline.

He believes people still desire a feed, but one that is not optimized for rage bait. Kevin McClary, head of performance marketing at Gorilla 76, advises MySpace not to compete directly with Meta, TikTok, or X. Instead, he suggests the platform should embrace 2000s culture, drawing inspiration from music, themed festivals, and merchandise.

McClary believes younger generations, drawn to early-2000s aesthetics, could broaden MySpace's appeal. By creating a nostalgic yet accessible platform, MySpace could cater to users seeking a more personal and less overwhelming experience in today's crowded social media landscape.