Music

These teens reacting to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" prove that Nirvana is forever young

by Mark Teo

In the years since Kurt Cobain’s death, Nirvana has become something of an adolescent rite of passage. Indeed, Nevermind, In Utero, Bleach and heck, even Incesticide have been invaluable in helping us navigate our angstier years, and why not? Cobain was, after all, his generation’s ultimate tortured soul. But are his songs timelessly teenaged?

YouTube channel Teens React—a spinoff of the ever-popular kids react, which had children wrapping their minds around Walkmans, Lady Gaga, and more—set out to answer the question. Watch this group of 14-19 year olds interpret the lyrics to “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and before you start feeling old, know this: They love it. Is it time to declare Nirvana a perpetual adolescent obsession, like the Ramones or Led Zeppelin? We think so.

Dig that video? Here’s another edition of teens reacting to Nirvana, taken from earlier this year.