The Tamesis
March 25, 2026
Singapore – Teva sandals, aviators, mullets and a Yamaha C40 guitar – peak 90s energy.
On March 24, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong joined the viral “What were you like in the 90s?” trend on Instagram and TikTok, offering a glimpse into his youth and a decidedly different hairstyle.
He wrote: “Looking back at the 90s – college, music, NS, first job. Somehow it all went by so fast!”
The 20-second video is set to the 1998 hit song “Iris” by American rock band Goo Goo Dolls.
The trend is part of a wider trend on TikTok and Instagram Reels, which begins with on-screen text: “Mom or Dad, what were you like in the 90s?” before switching to a slideshow of the user when they were younger.
In the video, Prime Minister Huang, who was probably in his early 20s at the time, wore a mullet and aviator glasses and played a Yamaha C40 guitar.
In another photo, he also posed in a park wearing a denim top, dark shorts and Teva sandals, while posing on a motorcycle with a big smile on his face.
The video received more than 200,000 views in three hours, with many users reacting humorously. As of 1:15pm on March 24, it had 17,600 likes.
Instagram user gabrieldrinkscoffee wrote: “PM, bring that mullet back!”
User 10.11w wrote: “Born to be a rock star, but chose to be a PM.”
Another user floral_doodle wrote: “During the National Day military parade, could you please enter by motorcycle instead of an ordinary car?”
The post also includes more personal moments, such as his graduation photos and photos with his parents.
The 53-year-old spent the 1990s in the United States, studying economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, graduating in 1994. He subsequently received a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Michigan in 1995.
Prime Minister Wong began his career as an economist in 1997 at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
Prime Minister Huang is not the only one looking back on the decade. Celebrities around the world have also jumped on the trend, including American actress Halle Berry, American R&B icon Usher and British pop group the Spice Girls, who are all reminiscing about their best fashion moments from the ’90s.
Sports stars including tennis superstar Serena Williams, former basketball player Shaquille O’Neal and baseball icon Alex Rodriguez also weighed in, sharing throwback photos from their youth.
