On November 5, 2022, Y2K pop star Aaron Carter died at 34 at his home in Lancaster, California. The singer was found unresponsive in his bathtub by a housekeeper. His death was attributed to a combination of inhaling the compressed-air chemical difluoroethane and ingesting the prescription sedative alprazolam, known as Xanax. Carter’s family claims that he received hydrocodone, oxycodone, and Xanax without medical justification. Specifically, the family has claimed that Walgreens willingly overprescribed the pop star. In May 2026, the family confidentially settled with Amen Clinic and Dr. John Faber. But the suit doesn’t stop there.

Now, in October 2026, Carter’s family has reached a new settlement. This time, it’s with Walgreens and Santa Monica Medical Plaza Pharmacy. Still, a lawsuit remains open against Carter’s former dentist, Dr. Jason Mirabile. In the case against Walgreens and the Santa Monica Pharmacy, the wrongful death suit was filed on behalf of Carter’s toddler son. Princeton Lyric Carter is now four years old, born on November 22, 2021. He was only one when his father was found unresponsive.

Their estate lawyer, Marc Lazo, released a statement through Rolling Stone. “We are pleased to have reached a mutually agreed-upon resolution with the pharmacy defendants. While the terms of the settlement remain confidential, we are satisfied that the matter has been resolved as to those parties and appreciate the opportunity to bring this matter to a conclusion for the sake of Mr. Carter’s young son.”

Background On The Late Singer

In March 1997, Aaron Carter became an overnight sensation. The kind of stardom that you’d read about in magazines. Carter was only nine years old when he was put on stage in Berlin, Germany, to open for the boy band, the Backstreet Boys. His older brother, Nick Carter, was a member of the iconic Y2K group. It was mostly a joke, a playful stunt, to have the 9-year-old open for the group. Instead, it turned him into a solo pop star overnight. He instantly landed a major recording contract and released a self-titled debut, released in December 1997.

Though his debut was a global hit, in the US, his follow-up album, Aaron’s Party (Come Get It) became a massive hit in 2000. Well into the 2000s, Carter was one of the most recognizable pop stars in the country. Aside from his music career, Carter expanded into television and Broadway as well and continued to perform until his death in 2022.

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Pop-punk peaked towards the end of the 90s and into the early 2000s. You can get a sense of this when re-watching films from the era. It became cliché to use pop-punk hits for transitional scenes. Now, we look back fondly on this era where pop-punk invaded the mainstream. In the 2000s specifically, many pop-punk hits raced the charts, charting higher than ever before or since. These are the three highest-charting pop-punk hits of the late 90s and 2000s.

“All The Small Things” by Blink-182

By the time Blink-182 established their legendary trio lineup, pop-punk had already pushed into the mainstream. The band capitalized on the momentum of bands such as Green Day to become one of the biggest pop-punk acts going into the new millennium. With their third album, the band released a string of hits starting with “What’s My Age Again?”, peaking at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100. They immediately exceeded expectations with their follow-up hit, “All The Small Things”, peaking at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.

“Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne

By 2007, pop-punk had already dominated the first half of the 2000s. Artists such as Avril Lavigne still had more to offer. Her 2007 hit, “Girlfriend”, became one of the most successful pop-punk songs of all time. Released on February 27, 2007, “Girlfriend” peaked at No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Avril Lavigne had been close to a No. 1 hit multiple times before. In 2002, her debut single “Complicated” peaked at No. 2. That same year, “I’m With You” peaked at No. 4, and “Sk8er Boi” peaked at No. 10. In 2004, “My Happy Ending” peaked at No. 9. However, she did earn a No. 1 album in 2004 with Under My Skin, and she achieved this again in 2007 with The Best Damn Thing.

“Sugar, wE’RE Goin’ Down” by Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy was one of the main bands to push emo into the mainstream. Their 2000s variation of emo was categorically pop-punk as well, especially on their debut and sophomore albums. On May 3, 2005, Fall Out Boy released their critically acclaimed sophomore album, From Under The Cork Tree. The album’s lead single, “Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down”, peaked at No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. They brilliantly followed up with “Dance, Dance”, which peaked at No. 9 following its release on October 31, 2005.

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In 1981, Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat coined the term straight edge. It became a movement within the hardcore punk community, abstaining from the use of drugs and alcohol. This movement vehemently rejected the use of drugs and alcohol, citing a silent class war that was destroying ghetto neighborhoods. With this movement catching on, the hardcore punk community rehabilitated countless hardcore fans throughout the decade.

Straight edge hardcore carried over into the 90s but slightly dissipated towards the end of the decade. Due to this, there was a full straight edge revival in the 2000s. These 3 hardcore punk bands were at the forefront of the revival of straight edge in the 2000s.

Have Heart

One of the main bands to introduce straight edge to a new generation was Have Heart. Fronted by Patrick Flynn, they were a primary fixture in the Boston hardcore scene. Formed in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 2002, Have Heart released their first EP in 2004, What Counts. With this EP release, the band helped usher in a new era of youth crew hardcore. Additionally, they contributed to the straight edge revival with songs such as “Something More Than Ink”.

They became hardcore icons with their 2006 debut album, The Things We Carry. Their track “Armed With A Mind” became a straight edge anthem. For their sophomore release in 2008, the band transitioned into a post-hardcore sound while carrying over their straight edge ideals. Songs To Scream At The Sun was the band’s final release before their legendary final show on National Edge Day, October 17, 2009. Patrick Flynn and drummer Shawn Costa are now members of the post-hardcore band Fiddlehead, which also features members of Basement.

Champion

Formed in 1999, Champion was also signed to Bridge 9 Records, much like Have Heart later on. Members of Champion were in other hardcore punk bands hailing from Seattle, Washington, in the late 90s and early 2000s. These included Betrayed, fronted by Champion guitarist Aram Arslanian. Champion released only one studio album, three EPs, and a compilation album before disbanding in 2006. Their only album, Promises Kept, became a defining and foundational straight edge album in 2004.

Their final show was filmed, recorded, and released in 2007 as a DVD/CD combo. This last live performance film will give you a special glimpse into the straight edge movement in Seattle in the mid-2000s.

Carry On

While Champion emerged from the northern Pacific coast, bands like Carry On emerged in Southern California to help continue the straight edge movement. Formed in 1997, the band released a string of EPs in the late 90s and early 200s. In 2001, they released their only studio release, A Life Less Plagued. It was the first album released by Bridge 9 Records, which became a massively influential hardcore punk label in the 2000s. Members of Carry On went on to form or join bands such as Stand & Fight, Betrayed, Terror, Go It Alone, Internal Affairs, and Piece By Piece.

Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns

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