Justin Bieber, age 22, was recently spotted in France with a pacifier in his mouth. He even posted a photo of himself sucking on the thing to Instagram, prompting wild speculation on why a pop star two decades out of babyhood would need such an accessory.

While Justin has offered no comment on #pacifiergate, there’s a solid reason why he might be rocking the sucker. The pacifier was a staple of rave fashion back in the ’90s, when people did a whole lot of drugs at once and tended to grind their teeth down to the gum.

Pacifiers gave them something to chew on, and also made a fashion statement. Look, the ’90s were a weird time, OK?

And Bieber has been deep in ’90s fashion lately, from doubled-up flannels to ripped jeans to Marilyn Manson T-shirts. The pacifier is likely one more nod to the culture that was happening when he was an actual, literal baby.