The great thing about pop culture in the post-internet era is we never really know who's going to make a comeback. Look at Winona Ryder, or Craig David, or those kids from the cheesy '80s TV show who were compared to Lush employees? Nothing is too nostalgic; no one is beyond redemption.
And sometimes we don't even need to know what it is that we're actually reviving: millions of people have shared the "Sure, Jan" meme, but how many of us actually know where it came from? ( A Very Brady Sequel, apparently.)
Anyway, with this in mind, we've put together a kind of "comeback wish list" for 2017. Some of these singers, actors and TV presenters are bigger names than others, but they're all people we'd love to see more of this year. Bring on the comebacks.
Drew Barrymore
Our girl Drew has proven her resilience in the past. Hollywood wrote her off after those rebellious teenage years, but then came Scream and Charlie's Angels and The Wedding Singer and Drew basically being a total hero. Lately she's been keeping it low-key, but 2017 brings her own mysterious-sounding Netflix show, Santa Clarita Diet. Netflix says Drew and co-star Timothy Olyphant play "ordinary husband and wife realtors until she undergoes a dramatic change that sends them down a road of death and destruction. In a good way." I'm calling it now – Drew Barrymore will be 2017's Winona Ryder.
Photo: Ron Galella/Getty Images.
Destiny's Child
OK, this one is 90% wishful thinking. But back in October, Destiny's Child did debut their own Instagram account, which has got to mean something, right? To anyone who argues, "But Beyoncé doesn't need to do a Destiny's Child reunion tour," I'd counter with, "Yeah, but at this stage, she's free to do whatever she damn well pleases." And if that happens to include telling Kelly and Michelle to get their "Survivor" faux-fur bikinis out of storage, I'm booking front row tickets.
Photo: Michael Tran Archive/Getty Images.
Alicia Silverstone
We'll never not be here for an Alicia Silverstone revival because we'll never not love Cher Horowitz. To be fair, she's worked pretty solidly lately – she had a role in U.S. sitcom Suburgatory, and appeared in the buzzy James Franco movie King Cobra. But it's a shame her biggest recent splash came in 2012, when she shared a semi-controversial video of herself chewing her son's baby food, then feeding it to him from her own mouth. Forget about #mouthfeedinggate, though: Alicia is about to star in a new U.S. comedy series called American Woman. It's based on the life of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards. And if her role is basically Cher Horowitz at 40, it could be must-watch TV.
Photo: Peter Still/Getty Images.
Dannii Minogue
Dannii Minogue is my favourite ever X Factor judge because she really did care about her contestants. Remember Ruth Lorenzo who belted out "Purple Rain"? Dannii actually went on holiday with her... after the show. Anyway, the younger Minogue sister is back on our screens this month on the BBC's new Saturday night talent show Let It Shine. Sure, she's made the odd mistake – oh Dannii, how could you name your fashion line "Project D?" – but let's be real: we've forgiven Sharon Osbourne far worse. Welcome back to primetime, girl.
Photo: SGranitz/Getty Images.
Shania Twain
It's hard to believe Shania hasn't released an album since 2002, but that's probably because her music never really goes away. Few pleasures in life are greater than getting in an Uber at 2 a.m. and hearing "You're Still the One" on Magic Radio. This spring she's promised a new album that includes "painful and melancholy ballads that evolved into completely upbeat songs", which sounds pretty perfect, tbh. Let's hope she hasn't stopped stuffing her song titles with random brackets and exclamation marks. "I'm Back (Just Like You Knew I Would Be!)" would make a great name for Shania's comeback track.
Photo: .
Miquita Oliver
Miquita – like Cher and Beyoncé, she needs no surname – was our best early-noughties TV presenter. Never as outrageous as Popworld partner Simon Amstell, she preferred to snigger and gently egg him on as their interviews with Gwen Stefani/Lemar/One of Atomic Kitten got increasingly awks. These days, Miquita's voice can be heard on the Argos TV ads, but why isn't she in front of the camera? Every time I mention this to friends, they'll say something like, "Oh, I saw her drinking in Shoreditch the other week, she looks great." Now, Shoreditch is a creative place: surely she's got to bump into a TV producer sooner or later?
Photo: Tim Roney/Getty Images.
Fergie
If there's one way of proving you're serious about your pop comeback, it's shooting a music video in which Kim Kardashian covers herself liberally and inexplicably in milk. Fergie may seem to belong to 2007 – a simpler time of BBM, Von Dutch baseball caps and hangovers that didn't last all day – but I reckon she's still relevant. After the epic brain-ache of 2016, none of us needs to think too much. What we need are some super-catchy Fergie tunes in which she helpfully spells out the song's title in the chorus. Remember "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S..." More of this please, Fergie-Fergs.
Photo: Curtis/StarPix/REX/Shutterstock.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
The Most Searched Celebrity Baby Names Of 2018
Every Movie & TV Show Nominated For The 2019 SAG Awards
There's A Glaring Issue With Google's "Most Searched" Celebrities Of 2018