When the lights went down at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2025 in Brooklyn, New York, no one expected the music to become the defining moment. The models floated down the runway in high-glamour lingerie, wings blazing, and then the beat dropped—and it wasn’t just another pop anthem. Instead, the atmosphere changed when the classic Bollywood lull of Tere Mere Beech Mein (vocal Lata Mangeshkar) melted into the iconic pop-rush of Toxic by Britney Spears. The result? A cultural collision that sent waves through fashion and music fans alike.
A Mash-up of East and West
At first glance, these two songs couldn’t be more different: “Tere Mere Beech Mein” is a soulful 1981 Bollywood classic from the film Ek Duuje Ke Liye, sung by Lata Mangeshkar and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, steeped in wistful romance and orchestral strings. On the other hand, “Toxic” is 2003’s dance-pop rush—a sleek, edgy, minor-key anthem of seduction and danger.
What made the show-stopping moment so thrilling was the seamless bridging between these two worlds. The track opened with the recognisably lush melody of the Bollywood song, and then transformed midway, taking on the thump and urgency of Britney’s “Toxic”. Many online pointed out that this wasn’t just a random remix—it referenced how “Toxic” had sampled elements of the Hindi track in its hook.
The result? A runway moment that felt both familiar and brand-new: the comfort of nostalgia meeting the thrill of surprise.
Why It Worked (And Why We’re Talking)
- Cultural cross-pollination at its finest – Seeing a storied Bollywood song inserted into a major Western fashion-show moment signals something.
For Indian fans in particular, the moment felt like recognition: “Desi representation at its BEST,” one commenter wrote after clips started circulating.
- A savvy fashion moment – Fashion is about visual impact, but sound matters too. When a beat surprises you, it becomes memorable. At an event full of shimmer and wings, this musical turn created a moment of pause.
- Nostalgia plus freshness – The Bollywood track brought history; the Britney track brought pop-culture punch. Their juxtaposition made the scene feel layered: past & present, East & West, classics & next-gen.
- Viral-ready content – Unsurprisingly, social media lit up. Short clips of the remix segment spread rapidly, with fans from around the world reacting to “never thought I’d hear Lata ji’s voice at a VS show!”
What It Says About Today’s Fashion & Music Landscape
This playful, bold move at the runway signals a few larger shifts:
- Global flavour is essential: Fashion shows are no longer just about Western glamour. They’re about global appeal, sounds, styles and audiences.
- Remix culture is mainstream: The fusion of genres and eras is now so familiar it can be deployed in high-fashion with confidence.
- Representation matters: Inclusion isn’t just visible (models, wings, wardrobe) but audible. Soundtracks can nod to different heritages and cultures, and when they do, people notice.
- Storytelling beyond garments: The show didn’t merely serve lingerie—it served an experience. By playing that mash-up, they told a story of fusion, surprise and cultural bridge-building.
What to Watch Next
Given how much buzz this moment generated, here are a few things to keep an eye on:
- Will future fashion runs incorporate more cross-cultural music blends? This might just be the start.
- How will the audience respond to more “unexpected” segments like this? If one song mash-up caused this reaction, imagine what a full segment devoted to blend could do.
- Will other brands learn that the soundtrack matters as much as the outfit? The moment proved that music can make the memory.
- For Indian artists or global pop icons: could this lead to more collaborations tying Bollywood classics with Western hits in fashion/music contexts?
Final Word
When the models stepped out at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2025, all eyes were on wings, feathers and high-glamour lingerie. But when the music hit, something else took over. The blending of “Tere Mere Beech Mein” and “Toxic” became more than an interesting twist—it became the moment people talked about after the show. It was fun. It was unexpected. It was a reminder that fashion isn’t just what we wear—but how we feel, hear and remember it.
In an era of global convergence, the runway found a way to speak to multiple worlds at once. And in doing so, it scored a musical remix nobody saw coming.
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