There’s something instantly relatable about watching Love on the Spectrum star Abbey Romeo approach a perfectly plated Banana Foster at a celebrity chef gala. What begins as a simple, earnest desire—”I just want to take one little bite of a banana”—quickly broke out into a spontaneous throwback performance.
“Uh-huh that’s my sh*t, all the girls stomp your feet like this,” she sang. And just like that, she became a one-woman time machine, transporting everyone watching straight back to the mid-2000s. And we’re certainly stomping our feet along.
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The lyric Romeo burst out comes from “Hollaback Girl” by Gwen Stefani—a track that was absolutely everywhere when it dropped in 2005 as part of Stefani’s debut solo album, Love. Angel. Music. Baby. Built around its unmistakable stomping beat, cheerleader-style chants, and that now-iconic “B-A-N-A-N-A-S” hook, the song became one of the defining anthems of the era. It topped the Billboard Hot 100, dominated the radio, and was famously one of the first songs to sell over a million digital downloads in the early days of iTunes.
In other words: It’s deeply embedded in millennial muscle memory.
If you’re a millennial, the moment hits on a cellular level. Because this is what we do. We don’t just experience things; we soundtrack them. A bite of dessert isn’t just a bite of dessert; it’s a cue. A trigger. A reason to dip into the mental jukebox of pop hits, club anthems, and radio staples that have permanently wired themselves into our brains.
Whether it’s belting out a chorus in an unsuspecting store that’s playing “oldies but goodies,” quoting lyrics mid-conversation with a friend, or turning any mundane moment into a full-on performance, millennials have mastered the art of living life like it’s scored by a playlist (or, rather, like by a burned CD labeled with a Sharpie).
Romeo’s taste test unfolded during the 19th Annual Autism Speaks Celebrity Chef Gala, an event designed to celebrate inclusion, creativity, and community through food and storytelling in honor of Autism Awareness Week. The evening brought together renowned chefs, advocates, and guests, including Romeo, for a night of curated dishes, fundraising, and spotlighting voices from the autism community.
In a room full of fine dining and polished conversation, Romeo gave millennials a reminder that is all too often forgotten: It’s okay to be a little unserious, a little nostalgic, and a little theatrical. The best times from back in the day, anyway, were the spontaneous ones, weren’t they?
Related: ‘Love on the Spectrum’ Star Abbey Romeo Hits the Waterpark After Breakup With David Isaacman