2099

## Music video

"**2099"** is a song by British singer Charli XCX featuring Australian singer Troye Sivan. It was released on September 10th, 2019 as the fourth and final promotional single from XCX's third studio album *Charli*.

## Background

“2099” is the last song on *Charli* and the futuristic sequel to Charli XCX and Troye Sivan’s first-ever collaboration “1999”, released just under a year before, in October 2018. “2099” followed up on September 10th, 2019, only days prior to the release of Charli’s eponymous third album.

The track was first performed in June 2019 during Charli’s set at the first annual “Go West Fest” – an LA-based festival celebrating Pride month.

On September 8th, 2019, XCX posted a picture of herself and Troye on the set of the track’s music video, which was released September 18th.

Charli explained to Apple that after they'd recorded "1999," she suspected Sivan "wanted to get a little bit weirder than we got," as she'd heard him mention he was into her experimental mixtape *Pop 2*. She added: "After '1999' came out, I hit him up again and said, 'Should we just go there? Should we just go out of space? Like, let's do a weird moment.' And he was like, 'Yes, let's do it.'"

## Theme

In an interview with Paper,Charli compared the song to a voyage into space. Commenting on the lyrical context, she opined that "it felt kind of poetic, I suppose, to end on "2099" with Troye, going to the future, different year". As for a deeper meaning of the song, however, she suggested that "you can read into it as much as you want, but also if you don't want to, it's fine". She further elaborated on the outro, saying that she felt it to be "so over-the-top and aggressive".

## Critical Reception

Emily Zemler of Rolling Stone described the song as a "futuristic, synth-heavy song" and noted the "pair sharing vocals over a layers of sound". James Rettig at Stereogum preferred the studio recording to the live version, stating that "its proper recording sounds even better, a futuristic flex that looks forward instead of back". Writing for Vulture, Craig Jenkins highlighted Sivan's performance on the song, saying how he "doubles down on the natural ghostly wispiness of his voice" and pointing out that "you can almost imagine "2099" as an artifact unearthed in a distant future".

## Music Video

The music video was released on September 17th, 2019 and was directed by Bradley & Pablo. It features the singers riding jet skis and doing several flips. Alex Robert Ross of The Fader compared the visuals to the likes of James Bond. Trey Alston of MTV assumed the video to take place in the future and pointed out that both singers visibly "have a lot of fun". Charli XCX herself described the video as "the best video ever".

## Lyrics

[Chorus: Charli XCX & Troye Sivan, Charli XCX]

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Fast like a Nascar, never touch us

Got visions, levels, they don't get me

Quiet, no discussions, please hush

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Don't make decisions for me, you don't know nothin'

I'm Pluto, Neptune, pull up, roll up, future, future, ah

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Fast like a Nascar, never touch us

Got visions, levels, they don't get me

Quiet, no discussions, please hush

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Don't make decisions for me, you don't know nothin'

I'm Pluto, Neptune, pull up, roll up, future

[Verse: Charli XCX & Troye Sivan]

Woo, kill it, I'm so deadly, deadly

Ooh, I'm zooming like a jet ski, zoom zoom

Little dose of napalm, blow it up, yeah

Don't care what she talk about, nah

All she wanna do is my style, yeah

No one on my level

I play nice 'cause I'm too clever

I won't show it, never, never, but it's crystal (Woo)

I'm way up, way better

She might pop, but it's whatever

She might sell, but what's she selling?

Does she last long?

I know they write about me (Yeah)

I know that they all see me (Yeah)

Too scared so they don't play me

Some people tried to save me

[Bridge: Charli XCX & Troye Sivan, Charli XCX]

Ooh, but I'm feeling so good

Better than I ever could

Had bad people in my business, gone now

Cage, prison, now it's gone away

They wanna listen what I say

Think I care about the fame?

Na-na-na-na

[Chorus: Charli XCX & Troye Sivan]

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Fast like a Nascar, never touch us

Got visions, levels, they don't get me

Quiet, no discussions, please hush

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Don't make decisions for me, you don't know nothin'

I'm Pluto, Neptune, pull up, roll up, future, future, ah

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Fast like a Nascar, never touch us

Got visions, levels, they don't get me

Quiet, no discussions, please hush

I pull up, roll up, fuck up

Don't make decisions for me, you don't know nothin'

I'm Pluto, Neptune, pull up, roll up, future, future, ah

## Trivia

* The song had one official remix by Montell2099.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.songfacts.com/facts/charli-xcx/2099
2. ↑ https://www.papermag.com/charli-xcx-track-by-track-2640323881.html?rebelltitem=63#rebelltitem63