Every 90s reference from Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's '1999' music video

12 October 2018, 14:19

Charli xcx references
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot/Virgin Screenshot
Nicky Idika

By Nicky Idika

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan have gifted the internet with the most nostalgia-filled video of the year. '1999' makes reference to The Spice Girls, Steve Jobs, Titanic, and many more. Here's every 90s reference from your new favourite music video,'1999'

The new video for Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's nostalgia collab, '1999', is full of iconic film, music, and pop culture references that provide the perfect snapshot of life in the late 90s. In the video, the dynamic duo spoof everything from Titanic and The Matrix to Eminem and The Spice Girls.

The music video is a fun, wild trip through the 90s, but were you able to identify all the references?

Charli XCX & Troye Sivan - 1999 [Official Video]

Just in case you were stumped by a few of these, here are the references and meanings of Charli XCX's and Troye Sivan's '1999' in the order that they appear in the video.

Charli dressed as Steve Jobs and the early iMAC

Charli xcx as Steve Jobs
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

Charli's exact pose is actually a take on a very famous photo of Apple founder Steve Jobs with the first iMac in 1998.

TLC's "Chasing Waterfalls" music video

Charli xcx as TLC
Picture: Atlantic Records/Screenshot
via GIPHY

A 90s nostalgia moment without a TLC nod? Blasphemy. Here we have Charli harking back to TLC's CGI-tastic 1994 music video for "Waterfalls".

Charli and Troye as Rose and Jack in The Titanic

Charli as Rose Titanic
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot
via GIPHY

You probably didn't need a hand at guessing Troye and Charli were recreating Titanic (1997), possibly the most popular movie of the decade.

Charli as The Spice Girls in the 'Say You'll Be There' video

Charli as Baby Spice
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot
Spice Girls Say You'll Be There Video
Picture: via Sony Music/Screenshot

Charli channeled The Spice Girls, especially Baby Spice, in the ultimate throwback to the 1996 music video for "Say You'll Be There".

90s Sketchers craze

Charli XCX Sketchers
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

Listen, in the 90s, Sketchers were THAT shoe. Established in 1992, you couldn't step foot on any playground without encountering the chunky footwear.

Troye as The Backstreet Boys in the 'I Want It That Way' video

Troye as the backstreet boys
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot
via GIPHY/SME

Here's something that's actually from the year 1999! The Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way" music video was an instant classic, even then.

Troye as Eminem in the 'Slim Shady' Music Video

Troye Sivan as Eminem
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot
via GIPHY

Troye is slim shady, yes he's the real shady. The "Slim Shady" music video actually dropped in the year 2000 and was many people's first introduction to a then 28-year-old Eminem.

Nokia 3310 - This is what phones used to look like

Nokia brick phones
Picture: Via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

A kid who got a smart phone as their first mobile will never understand the truly torturous task of typing on a T9 keyboard. The phone in the video looks an awful lot like a Nokia "brick" phone, first released in 2000.

Charli as Mena Suvari's character in 'American Beauty'

American Beauty Charli
Picture: via Atlantic Records
via GIPHY

Another thing that's actually from 1999! Charli nails it as Mena Suvari's American Beauty character, Angela.

Marilyn Manson and Rose McGowan's famous 1998 VMAs red carpet look

Rose and Marilyn
Picture: via Atlantic Records

Believe it or not, this is a pretty close interpretation of the outfits that Rose McGowan and Marilyn Manson wore when they attended the 1998 MTV VMAs.

Recently, the actress and activist has spoken about the outfit, saying, “I thought: You know what? F**k you. You want to objectify me? You want to see a body? This is what you want? All you media men, all you photographers, you vultures, this is what you want to see? I’ll f**king show you a body. And so I did. "

The Sims 1's amazingly realistic fire animation

Sims fire screenshot
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

Who didn't love that highly realistic fire from Sims 1, first released in 2000? Hate to alarm you all, but The Sims is dangerously close to its 20th anniversary. Chew on that for a bit.

Baby G Watches

G Shock Baby G
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

Was there ever a more perfect accessory in the 90s and 00s than the Baby G watch? You'd be mistaken if you said yes.

The 3D Dancing Baby cha cha

dancing baby charli xcx video
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

Here's a nod to Baby cha cha, aka an internet meme (?) relic circa 1996. Is this the oldest meme? Can anyone remember a meme before cha cha?

Troye and Charli in The Matrix

Troye Charli the matrix
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot

Come on. You know this one. It's the 1999 classic, The Matrix, starring Keanu Reaves and PVC coats.

Troye Sivan as Justin Timberlake in the Nsync 'I Drive Myself Crazy' video

Troye Sivan as Justin Timberlake
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot
via GIPHY

Those of us who lived through this era have Justin Timberlake's hair texture permanently etched into our brains. The "I Drive Myself Crazy" video came out in 1997 and we're still in awe of these looks.

Blair Witch Project

Blair Witch xcx charli
Picture: via Atlantic Records/Screenshot
via GIPHY

1999's The Blair Witch Project was actually a huge thing back at the turn of the century. Charli nailed the bad lighting and eerie quality of the found footage supernatural horror film.

Classic Hanes underwear commercials

Charli xcx hanes underwear
Picture: via Atlantic Records

Underwear commercials of the 90s. Was there anything cheesier? Please, let me know if you and your friends regularly hang out in your underwear.