The 'Little Dark Age' meme centers on the 2017 title track by synth-pop band MGMT. While the song itself was a return to form for the band, it found a second life on TikTok and YouTube around 2020 through elaborate video edits. These montages typically contrast a perceived 'degenerate' or chaotic modern era with a nostalgic, idealized, or 'warrior' past, set to the song's moody, driving beat. Over time, the meme evolved beyond its political and traditionalist roots to encompass any aesthetic transition or feeling of living through a strange, dark historical moment. It remains a staple of 'core' aesthetics and historical-themed internet subcultures.