Born on 1 January 2004

Back in 2004, life felt like it was shifting into a higher gear, though we were still firmly tethered to the sofa by a TV cord. If you popped into the pub then, you’d likely find us arguing over whether *Pop Idol* was better than the first series of *The X Factor*, all while the smell of Benson & Hedges still lingered indoors. It was the year of the Motorola Razr; we were all desperately trying to look cool flipping those silver handsets shut after sending a T9 text that cost ten pence.

The charts were absolutely dominated by Eric Prydz’s "Call on Me"—you couldn't escape that synth beat if you tried—and everyone was heading to the cinema to see *Shrek 2* or crying their eyes out at *The Notebook*. If you were a kid, you were likely obsessed with Beyblades or trading Yu-Gi-Oh cards in the playground. I remember that scorching August heatwave properly baked the pavements, and we’d cool off with a blue WKD or a crisp Pint of Fosters.

It was the year Facebook launched, but we didn't care; we were too busy updating our Top 8 on MySpace or watching the final episode of *Friends* with a takeaway. It was a simpler, louder, neon-tinted time.