WATCH: Talk about those '90s vibes! Popeye Village used in cheesy Greek music video
Popeye Village is one of Malta’s most iconic locations not only for its brightly coloured, rustic architecture its delightful location, but the late Robin Williams himself roamed the village’s streets back in 1980 during the filming of the American musical comedy Popeye, in which the celebrated actor played the lead character, and the village its set.
The village was left intact after filming wrapped up and it continues to remain a popular tourist attraction to this day. However, one recently unearthed 2005 music video, shot entirely at Popeye Village, has left us looking like this:
What with the cheesy lyrics coupled with the cringey fashion of the time, the video gives a *very* heavy nod to the '90s and early '00s. The song, by popular Greek artist Nikos Vertis is called Thymamai, or ‘I remember’, and talks about lost love. While we’re not quite sure how Popeye Village and sad love stories correlate, we have to admit that the tune does have a degree of Mediterranean charm, and kinda grows on you by the third loop.
“I remember writing in the sand, If I don't live with you, let me die” reads one lyric, while another part reminisces about times lost: “I remember the wave synchronised with the heartbeat. I remember the night looking at us and being jealous of us.”
To put things into perspective, this is the time where the Eurovision Song Contest was dominated by Sertab Erener’s ‘Every way that I can’ and Ruslana’s ‘Wild Dances’, both tunes which were immensely popular at the time and are now considered part of the Eurovision’s biggest Golden Oldie hits. In hindsight however, they were no feat of musical genius, and while we do agree that this song would have performed quite well in Europe’s biggest musical competition, it’s also safe to say that outside that context, and just like most popular European music videos of the time, it hasn’t aged well.
Check out the video below: