3Pre-IntermediateGeneralCulture

Old Song Becomes Popular Again on Social Media

A famous song from 1998 is very popular again. People on social media are sharing old photos from the 1990s with the song "Iris." Even the singer SZA made her own version of the song!

1 min readLevel 3March 24, 2026

By Flalingo Editorial Team

Vocabulary

Study these words before reading the article. Click the audio button to hear pronunciation.

trend

/trɛnd/

noun

Something that many people start doing at the same time

“There is a new dance trend on the internet.”

version

/ˈvɜːrʒən/

noun

A different form of something, like a new way to do a song

“She sang her own version of the old song.”

famous

/ˈfeɪməs/

adjective

Known by very many people

“He is a famous actor from a big movie.”

generation

/ˌdʒɛnəˈreɪʃən/

noun

A group of people who are about the same age

“My generation grew up without smartphones.”

stream

/striːm/

noun

When someone listens to a song or watches a video online

“The new song got one million streams in a week.”

Article

Click on any underlined word to see its definition. Highlighted words are from the vocabulary section.

Do you know the song "Iris"? It came out in 1998. The Goo Goo Dolls made this famous song. Now it is popular again on social media. People are sharing old photos from the 1990s. They use "Iris" as the music.

The trend asks one simple question. "What were you like in the 90s?" People share photos of themselves as children. Many famous people joined the trend too. Even the singer SZA made her own version. She shared it on her social media page.

The song now has five billion streams online. The band is very happy about this trend. It connects older and younger people through music. Great songs can touch every generation. The Goo Goo Dolls will go on tour soon.

Comprehension Quiz

Test your understanding of the article with these multiple-choice questions.

1
When was the song "Iris" first released?
2
What do people share in the social media trend?
3
What did SZA do with the song "Iris"?
4
How many streams does "Iris" have now?
5
Why is the band happy about the trend?

Discussion

Answer these comprehension questions about the article.

1
What is the name of the song that became popular again?
2
When did the Goo Goo Dolls first release "Iris"?
3
What do people share in the social media trend?
4
What did the singer SZA do with the song?
5
How many streams does "Iris" have now?

Further Discussion

Share your opinions on these open-ended questions.

1
What kind of music do you like to listen to?
2
Do you have a favorite song from a long time ago?
3
Have you ever joined a trend on social media?
4
Do you think old songs can be better than new songs? Why?
5
What were you like when you were a child?