Although you may know her as a pop icon or the creator of Brat Summer, phenomenal British pop artist Charli XCX has been a part of the music industry since the early 2010s. Besides her most recent album, she contains many other hits in her discography. Although it may not seem like it, she’s the childhood artist you never knew you had, with extremely popular features such as “I Love It” with Icona Pop and “Fancy” with Iggy Azalea, songs which I’m sure you have heard before. Her tendencies to show her authentic self, embrace her imperfections, and her down-to-earth personality make her a refreshing artist to follow in the current industry. However, Charli XCX hasn’t had any major hits since 2014, until her newest album was released this year.
On June 7, Charli XCX released her most popular album yet: “Brat”. The album features many upbeat songs like “Talk Talk”, andiconic collaborations like “Guess” ft. Billie Eilish (which hit #1 on the Billboard UK), “Apple”, and my personal favorite, “Von Dutch”. Charli XCX also takes a very different marketing style approach from that of more popular artists. Unlike many artists who use album covers, marketing videos, and overall album promotions to focus on higher-quality and aesthetic photos, Charli XCX uses the Arial font and the color chartreuse, making her album iconic for its simplicity.
On the surface, “Brat” goes against the status quo and the stereotypes of major artists today. Her minimalistic approach and signature color are her way of rebelling against the current music industry. On a deeper level, the upbeat and unique discography utilizes creative and meaningful lyrics, which can be seen in her song called “Girl, so Confusing” with Lorde. After being in the making for over a decade, the track focuses on Charli’s relationship with Lorde and complications with each other dating back to 2012. Charli first opens the song with “Yeah I don’t know if you like me / sometimes I think you might hate me / sometimes I think I might hate you / maybe you just want to be me”. She sings about questioning Lorde’s authenticity and her hopes of seeing Charli fail or succeed. Lorde follows up with a verse saying “Cause for the last couple years / I’ve been at war with my body / I tried to starve myself thinner / and then I gained all the weight back”. Lorde discusses her battles with an eating disorder and that being the reason for always canceling dinner plans or going out with Charli so last minute. She later addresses building walls to protect herself, especially being a part of the music industry when so many people know so much about you. The song comes together and focuses a lot on the struggles of being a woman and how confusing it is to be a girl in the music industry when you are constantly pitted against and compared to other women.
Charli XCX has been an exceptional pop artist making great music and advocating for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights across the world. Her music is a great mix of instrumentals combined with confidence and lyrics that resonate on every level. While her loud background music and use of autotune might seem very different from current artists, she has many similar characteristics to artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, with their collective mission of bringing back 2000’s pop hits and culture. If you enjoy listening to Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, or Ayesha Erotica, Charli XCX is the artist for you.
