Charli XCX has always been five years ahead of pop and this time she’s embracing the past while living in the future.

We knew something big was coming when pop’s Number 1 Angel announced her first ‘proper’ single in over a year was a collaboration with Troye Sivan.

Two of music’s most progressive and forward millennials teaming up could’ve resulted in a hundred different songs but ‘1999’ is a flirtatious romp about celebrating the moment with a little help from nostalgia.

Borrowing from the greats before them to recall a carefree energy over a bouncy keyboard, Charli and Troye reference Britney Spears’ iconic debut ‘...Baby One More Time’, Michael Jackson and, ahem, MTV to name a few.

“I just wanna go back, back to 1999 / Take a ride to my old neighbourhood,” Charli sings in the instant chorus. “I just wanna go back / Sing hit me baby one more time.”

Troye and Miss XCX have long expressed their adoration for each other, with Charli declaring his ‘My My My!’ single and video a major moment in pop when it dropped at the start of the year.

Now the pair have linked up for this massive banger, we are hoping a video is coming imminently - especially if the Matrix-inspired artwork is anything to go by.

Love, love, love. The future of pop leading the way while paying tribute to the legends - we stan.