How Nikki Webster's 'Strawberry Kisses' became the Matildas Women's World Cup song

After Shania Twain's 'Man! I Feel Like A Woman!' got the Matildas up and dancing at their first training after their 4-0 demolition of Canada, everyone wanted to know who was behind the music decisions.

Especially after it went from country-pop to Australian hip-hop group Sydney Yungins' tune 'Eshays', without skipping a beat, over the speaker at QSAC at 11am.

At that particular training, a member of Tony Gustavsson's coaching staff was tasked with matching the good vibes of a team returning to the pitch after a historic victory against Canada.

After training, goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold was asked about the two songs and if there was a team song that they had levitated towards at the Women's World Cup.

She pointed to Nikki Webster's triple platinum beat 'Strawberry Kisses' as the song of the tournament.

"I don't know where that's come from," Arnold chuckled.

"Actually I think it's Steph Catley's favourite song and now we've all jumped on the wagon."

"It's a banger of a song, it's iconic," Matildas defender Steph Catley replied in a Matildas video later that day.

"I had it as a CD in my Walkman. It was a single and I'd just listen to it over and over again, so it reminds me of my childhood.

"It's happiness in song and it just gets me going on my day - and in the changeroom apparently now."

Speaking to Optus Sport, Australian vice-captain Steph Catley said two teammates were usually behind the music at training and in the changeroom.

And one of her requests had just stuck.

"Kyah Simon or Sam [Kerr], they both do the DJ role really well, but I'll throw in a few requests and Strawberry Kisses gets played so I don't even need to ask for that anymore," she laughed on Saturday.

"It's just like a team banger now, everyone's happy with it, so that's my box ticked."

Arnold also spilt the beans that the team loves a singalong in the changerooms, "none of that doof-doof sh**", she laughed.

Catley agreed.

She told Optus Sport it's mostly "old school" tunes like Vanessa Amorosi's 'Absolutely Everybody' and Shania Twain's songs but admits it does take a turn.

"We usually go into the change room and those sorts of songs are playing," Catley said.

"Then it builds up to more like doof-doof, serious stuff."

Hopefully, the Matildas will be blasting Webster's 2001 hit in four more changerooms this tournament - starting on Monday night against Denmark and then all the way to the World Cup final.

Originally published for Optus Sport on August 5, 2023