Written by Emmy Mack.
Ah, the year 2000. It was a simpler time, a pre-Trump, pre-9/11, pre-meme world full of innocence and the kind of post-Y2K carpe diem that promised endless possibilities.
And if anyone was the embodiment of that lost zeitgeist, it was little Nikki Webster, the pretty-in-pink primary-schooler who had the weight of Australia’s hopes and dreams on her shoulders when she kicked off the Sydney Olympic Games with the patriotic power ballad, ‘Under The Southern Skies’.
As we all fondly remember, after being thrust into the international limelight, little Nikki embarked on a short-lived post-Olympic pop career which delivered us the spectacular 2001 hit ‘Strawberry Kisses’, DIY schoolyard versions of which would go on to soundtrack little lunches and big lunches for years to come.
Flash forward to now, and Webster has re-emerged like a shining beacon of light to re-inflate the hearts that 2016 and ’17 have so jointly stomped into the dirt with hope and joy once again.
Now aged 29 (hoooo boy, we’re all so old now aren’t we?!), Webster — who you’ll be glad to know became a successful performing arts school entrepreneur and not a total human trainwreck like so many other former child celebs for our gen — appeared on 7’s Sunrise yesterday to bring back those Strawberry Kisses that we’ve been missin’.
Smashing an a cappella rendition of the ARIA #2 hit on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge with Kochie & the crew, Webster — who legitimately doesn’t seem to have aged — effectively re-ignited the demoralised spirits of a nation once more.
And apparently we have weatherman/karaoke partner Sam Mac to thank, who had the brainwave of getting Webster in for the show’s random new ‘Karaoke Climb’ segment.
“My producer told me about Bridge Climb Karaoke and said we had the opportunity to take one special guest up,” Mac said (via Pedestrian TV).
“For some unknown reason, presumably divine intervention, I saw a vision of Nikki Webster flying over the bridge with me just behind her dropping a nine-second rap sequence.”
Right. Well then. Treat yourself to an uplifting nostalgia-gasm by watching the footage — and reliving the OG video clip — below.
Source: musicfeeds.com.au