Charli XCX’s unearthed Lip Sync Battle is branded ‘a virtual declaration of war’ and ‘a hate crime’ – after star ‘sang’ track by Irish band B*Witched alongside Union Flag-clad dancers
Charli XCX’s appearance on Lip Sync Battle has sparked ire among Irish social media users, six years after the performance hit screens.
The British star, 31, fought against Rita Ora on the US show in 2018, where she took to the stage to mouth along to B*Witched’s 1998 hit C’est La Vie in front of a slew of backing dancers clad in Union Flag dresses.
Due to the fact the group, comprising Edele Lynch, Keavy Lynch, Lindsay Armaou and Sinéad O’Carroll, hale from Ireland, fans were left enraged at the use of the UK’s flag alongside the Irish music – and Charli’s attempt at Irish dancing.
Twitter was flooded by angered viewers, including funnyman Dara Ó Briain, who deemed the gaffe a ‘a virtual declaration of war’ and ‘a hate crime‘ – with a slew of references to 1998’s Good Friday Agreement.
The agreement was a deal signed by political parties in Northern Ireland, as well as both the British and Irish governments. It helped to bring an end to more than 30 years of conflict in Ireland and Northern Ireland, known as The Troubles.
Charli XCX’s appearance on Lip Sync Battle has sparked ire among Irish social media users, six years after the performance hit screens
The British star, 31, fought against Rita Ora on the US show in 2018, where she took to the stage to mouth along to B*Witched’s 1998 hit C’est La Vie in front of a slew of backing dancers clad in Union Flag dresses (B*Witched pictured in 1998)
Twitter was flooded by angered viewers, including funnyman Dara Ó Briain, who deemed the gaffe a ‘a virtual declaration of war’ and ‘a hate crime’ – with a slew of references to 1998’s Good Friday Agreement
The use of Irish music with the UK flag sparked the anger among fans
Funnyman Dara took to Twitter to share the message and write: ‘Ah here. And the “Irish dancing” section is particularly criminal. Was it for this etc etc’
More than 3,500 people lost their lives throughout the Troubles, which arose due to political tensions after the formation of Northern Ireland in 1921.
Charli’s clip brought discussion of The Troubles to the surface on social media.
Despite the age of the clip, Charli’s performance resurfaced and showed the star – watched by Rita – belt out C’est La Vie, while a number of dancers dressed in Union Flag-adorned dresses surrounded her to join in.
When the original tweet was shared, the author wrote: ‘charli xcx lipsyncing to c’est la vie by b*witched surrounded by UNION JACKS is the eighth deadly sin’.
Funnyman Dara took to Twitter to share the message and write: ‘Ah here. And the “Irish dancing” section is particularly criminal. Was it for this etc etc’.
His Twitter followers soon swarmed the replies writing: ‘I can’t decide if that’s a declaration of war … or a hate crime… We all feel a bit guilty for liking this tune – but we do – this clip is virtually a declaration of war…
‘It’s that the Good Friday Agreement over then, shure we had a good run there for a while… Is this not in breach of the GFA?… This video is basically a hate crime… Irish dancing is one of England’s biggest exports!…
‘I honestly think apologies need to be sought for this… Definitely a hate crime… I’ve never been more offended… You would think a nation like the USA with millions of people of Irish heritage could work out B*witched was an Irish not a British band.
His Twitter followers soon swarmed the replies writing: ‘I can’t decide if that’s a declaration of war … or a hate crime… We all feel a bit guilty for liking this tune – but we do – this clip is virtually a declaration of war’
The creation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland resulted in a political split among the population in both parts (Pictured: Bomb debris laying strewn across the streets of London’s Docklands following an IRA bomb blast in 1996, prior to the agreement)
‘Btw wasn’t one of the members of B*witched the daughter of a Taoiseach?…
In defense of the clip, one fan pointed out that the backing dancers were dressed in Geri Horner’s 1997 BRITs dress – meaning the intention was for the star to perform a Spice Girls song, before a possible last minute change.
The user wrote: ‘Looks like they planned to do a spice girls song and changed last minute’.
MailOnline has contacted Charli’s representatives for comment.
The creation of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland resulted in a political split among the population in both parts: unionists, who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, and nationalists, who want it to become part of the Republic of Ireland.
In defense of the clip, one fan pointed out that the backing dancers were dressed in Geri Horner’s 1997 BRITs dress – meaning the intention was for the star to perform a Spice Girls song, before a possible last minute change
Tensions gave way to violence in the late 1960s, as armed groups from both sides, such as the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Ulster Defence Association (UDA), carried out bombings and shootings – and British troops were sent to Northern Ireland.
After years of conflict, the Good Friday Agreement was seen as being instrumental in the Northern Ireland peace process.
It dictated that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, and that would only be allowed to change via another referendum, if the people of Northern Ireland voted to do so.
Geri Halliwell wore a dress similar to that of the dancers at the BRITs in 1997
