No thread on her yet. Her two singles released this year ('stay away', 'nuclear seasons') got the 'best new track' feature on Pitchfork and TheSinglesJukebox rated the later with a 7.83 which is quite a high score by their standards. Also it seems she's been getting the love by british press for a few years now, but I can't confirm that firsthand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBxC5bRbruQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1GNx2bwZa4
― Moka, Sunday, 13 November 2011 00:24 (seven years ago) Permalink
Is she named after a Star Trek episode?
― Miss Piggy and Frodo in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 November 2011 00:49 (seven years ago) Permalink
From interview magazine http://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/brit-pop-girls#_ :
CHARLI XCXFULL NAME: Charlotte Aitchison. “The XCX really stands for ‘kiss Charli kiss’ which is unbelievably crap.”AGE: 17.PROVENANCE: Hertfordshire.SOUND: Pouty raps, fuzzy basslines.INTERVIEW: How long have you been making music?CHARLI XCX: I started writing my own things when I was about 8. I used to try to bully my friends into imitating the Spice Girls on the playground. Then I realized, Oh god, my career’s going nowhere, so I looked in the Yellow Pages and phoned up the first cheap studio that I found and started recording.INTERVIEW: What’s your song “I Wanna Be Darth Vader” about?CHARLI XCX: Well, last night on Britain’s Got Talent, there was this absolute twat dancing toMichael Jackson in a Darth Vader suit, which put me off a bit, but I used to think Darth Vader was really sexy—the mask, the voice, the heavy breathing, and the way that his cape whooshes when he walks.INTERVIEW: What’s your grand plan?CHARLI XCX: Well, there are a huge amount of girls out at the minute and they’re all great, but I feel like I could take them all on. I like Lady Gaga’s music and I think her fashion is great, but I saw her on a chat show and I wanted to punch her in the face. I kind of like La Roux, but her voice sometimes really annoys me. That said, I recently noticed that I’ve been doing really high notes in my songs, and I’m like, Oh no, here it comes. I’m going to turn into La Roux. And I’ve just gotten a massively short haircut with a huge fringe. Next I’ll be going ginger.
AGE: 17.
PROVENANCE: Hertfordshire.
SOUND: Pouty raps, fuzzy basslines.
INTERVIEW: How long have you been making music?CHARLI XCX: I started writing my own things when I was about 8. I used to try to bully my friends into imitating the Spice Girls on the playground. Then I realized, Oh god, my career’s going nowhere, so I looked in the Yellow Pages and phoned up the first cheap studio that I found and started recording.INTERVIEW: What’s your song “I Wanna Be Darth Vader” about?CHARLI XCX: Well, last night on Britain’s Got Talent, there was this absolute twat dancing toMichael Jackson in a Darth Vader suit, which put me off a bit, but I used to think Darth Vader was really sexy—the mask, the voice, the heavy breathing, and the way that his cape whooshes when he walks.INTERVIEW: What’s your grand plan?CHARLI XCX: Well, there are a huge amount of girls out at the minute and they’re all great, but I feel like I could take them all on. I like Lady Gaga’s music and I think her fashion is great, but I saw her on a chat show and I wanted to punch her in the face. I kind of like La Roux, but her voice sometimes really annoys me. That said, I recently noticed that I’ve been doing really high notes in my songs, and I’m like, Oh no, here it comes. I’m going to turn into La Roux. And I’ve just gotten a massively short haircut with a huge fringe. Next I’ll be going ginger.
― Moka, Sunday, 13 November 2011 01:57 (seven years ago) Permalink
God bless all these musicians before their PR agents get to them and they actually give fun interviews.Great songs, by the way.
― SirGreendown, Sunday, 13 November 2011 23:33 (seven years ago) Permalink
Whoops, meant to say "God bless all these youngish musicians while they're still giving fun interviews, before their PR agents get to them."
― SirGreendown, Sunday, 13 November 2011 23:35 (seven years ago) Permalink
kinda confused by seeing people have their minds blown by her. she's ok i guess, need to hear way more though - i like what i've heard but i'm not fully convinced for some reason, seems a touch heavy-handed
― all i see is angels in my eyes (lex pretend), Monday, 14 November 2011 07:59 (seven years ago) Permalink
Stay Away is definitely one of my favorites this year. Nuclear Seasons, not really.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 17 November 2011 18:04 (seven years ago) Permalink
Totally into "Nuclear Seasons" and I think I'm gonna go see her tomorrow at her first US show (!)
― Joan Cusack clumsily running into a water fountain (Stevie D(eux)), Thursday, 8 March 2012 13:32 (seven years ago) Permalink
i love stay away. and valentine. haven't heard anything else other than nuclear seasons which a lot of people seem to like but i don't really get
― teledyldonix, Friday, 9 March 2012 01:53 (seven years ago) Permalink
the chorus in this is great http://soundcloud.com/charlixcx/youre-the-one/s-pU6Fs
― owenf, Monday, 11 June 2012 20:51 (six years ago) Permalink
Still waiting for something as good as Stay Away. Not even the Icona Pop song is close imo.
― Johnny Fever, Monday, 11 June 2012 20:57 (six years ago) Permalink
okay so this "super ultra" mixtape is just ridiculously great
― monotony, Saturday, 10 November 2012 09:57 (six years ago) Permalink
It is!
― Tim F, Monday, 19 November 2012 17:25 (six years ago) Permalink
cosign! this is probably the closest an album has come to approximating the feel of maxinquaye for me, sounds amazing late at night. rapping over "moments in love" is p much a direct route to my heart. it's a little messy, but the songs are really there. also i didn't realize she was only 20--she'll probably go for leaner production choices in the future.
― een, Monday, 26 November 2012 05:38 (six years ago) Permalink
Everything is consistently excellent. Also "Heatwave" is my jam.
― Tim F, Monday, 26 November 2012 08:19 (six years ago) Permalink
It's almost as if... Someone made tumblr-pop that justified the adjectives and lurid colourscapes.
― Tim F, Monday, 26 November 2012 08:21 (six years ago) Permalink
http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/14932-various-artists-you-ha-ha-ha-lindstrm-remix/
Lindstrøm gives this shit a proper workout.
― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 14 February 2013 06:23 (six years ago) Permalink
i really have no idea what to make of this album, like even whether i'm enjoying it or not
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 20:53 (six years ago) Permalink
i feel like i'm on the brink of being completely YESSSSS THIS IS RESONATING DEEPLY WITH ME but i can't...quite...get...there and it's the kind of thing where if you're NOT on board emotionally it's kind of functionally useless
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 20:54 (six years ago) Permalink
"you're the one" is a bit of a monster though
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 20:55 (six years ago) Permalink
albeit i think i might like "you're the one" better if it didn't plunge shamelessly into its cheesy chorus?
the brooke candy verse on this is disappointingly terrible
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 20:57 (six years ago) Permalink
have't heard the album but from the singles can attest that if you're on board emotionally they are the best ever
― katherine, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 21:41 (six years ago) Permalink
there's a vagueness that keeps me from being emotionally on board "you're the one" but that curving bass
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 21:46 (six years ago) Permalink
really love the lingering the verses do on "you (ha ha ha)" too
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 21:49 (six years ago) Permalink
Does she have her own "I Love It" on this? I am still curious to hear what she would have done with it instead of Icona Pop.
― boxedjoy, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 22:48 (six years ago) Permalink
I'm into this newest single "what I like". she has a knack for cadence
― monotony, Sunday, 31 March 2013 01:54 (six years ago) Permalink
streaming over @ pitchfork advance
― monotony, Tuesday, 9 April 2013 15:07 (six years ago) Permalink
This has very big Alisha's Attic vibes writ large all over it. It's a modern pop album that seems designed for people who grew up in the 90s, which is probably either really cute and endearing, or naff and silly, depending on your taste for talky-sung verses in the style of Siobhan Fahey when in Shakespeare's Sister.
― boxedjoy, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 22:50 (six years ago) Permalink
Charli XCX herself seems very much a pop starlet for the twenty-something crowd, in the way she nonchalantly swears and sings about sexual encounters but it's all framed in this goth-pop cuteness with easy melodies and simple vivid imagery. I can see this album's relationship to 90's r&b being comparable to the way Anniemal took 80's disco and made it sound very pop but very chic, even though this is a lot more obviously dark and menacing.
― boxedjoy, Wednesday, 10 April 2013 22:58 (six years ago) Permalink
aka the awful song with Brooke Candy made me nervous but I even don't mind that in the context of the album and You (Ha Ha Ha) is actually better than I remembered and the rest of it is great. The first three singles are still the best stuff here especially Nuclear Seasons but this is a pretty wonderful pop album.
― twinkin' and drinkin' and ready to fly (Alex in Montreal), Thursday, 11 April 2013 03:20 (six years ago) Permalink
as extravagant as charli's overload of stylistic reference points is, i don't think it's what's preventing this clicking for me - basically just don't think her songwriting is quite there yet. it's a bit overstuffed but the problem is less that and more her lack of a really distinct songwriting voice
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Thursday, 11 April 2013 10:38 (six years ago) Permalink
or just, interesting words, or something
i think i'm the only person in the world that doesn't hate the brooke candy song. the second-to-last one "how can i" would be the dud if i had to pick one
― monotony, Thursday, 11 April 2013 13:03 (six years ago) Permalink
You're not alone. Cloud Aura is one of her best. That said, True Romance is a let-down for me largely due to the production. My favorite track is What I Like, but even it has it's problems. Like why start of with a great intro that gets you all hyped up, only to never reference it anywhere else in the song? Still love it, but that's just one example of the many opportunities missed by this album. I expected it to be much more in the vein of Dance 4 U and Velvet Dreaming but the album's first half is like a 90's rehash of what Little Boots was doing with 80's pop.
― Cousin Slappy, Thursday, 11 April 2013 17:45 (six years ago) Permalink
I've been cool on her other singles but "What I Like" is marvelous.
― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 11 April 2013 17:47 (six years ago) Permalink
this is awesome; the two-year-old songs thread in pretty seamlessly
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 April 2013 18:53 (six years ago) Permalink
weird but so far i prefer the album tracks to most of the singles (except "what i like" which wow). "like roses" and "take my hand" especially
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Tuesday, 16 April 2013 19:19 (six years ago) Permalink
black roses*
Really, really, really good record.
― monotony, Wednesday, 17 April 2013 01:59 (six years ago) Permalink
after seeing her live last week this album is finally seriously beginning to click for me
in a way i'm glad the singles never quite did it in isolation because i get to feel the rush of "YOU'RE JUST ELECTRIC BLUE" now instead
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Monday, 22 April 2013 19:51 (six years ago) Permalink
CUZ I CAN TASTE YOUR LIPS ON MY LIPSYOUR KISSES TAKE ME OUT OF CONTROLAND I CAN FEEL MY BLOOOOOOOODIT'S CRAWLING THROUGH MY VEEEEEEIIIIIIIINS
somewhere, shirley manson feels proud
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Monday, 22 April 2013 19:59 (six years ago) Permalink
brooke candy's rap on "cloud aura" is so so bad but the rest of it is so good
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Monday, 22 April 2013 20:01 (six years ago) Permalink
WHY YOU WANNA GO TO SLEEPDON'T GO TO SLEEPDON'T GO TO SLEEPLET'S GO OUUUUUT
― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 22 April 2013 20:02 (six years ago) Permalink
hmmm i gave this album a couple spins last week but i only actually liked about half of it (mostly the front half, but some later too), the rest just became this amorphous blur of whatever
― dyl, Monday, 22 April 2013 20:03 (six years ago) Permalink
it's taken me about a month and about...8 or 9 plays, i guess, to click
― flamenco drop (lex pretend), Monday, 22 April 2013 20:04 (six years ago) Permalink
YOU'RE JUST ELECTRIC BLUUUUUUE is wonderful. all of this is wonderful.
except for brooke candy
― twinkin' and drinkin' and ready to fly (Alex in Montreal), Monday, 22 April 2013 21:02 (six years ago) Permalink
Is "cloud aura" the same as on last year's mixtape?
― Tim F, Monday, 22 April 2013 22:33 (six years ago) Permalink
yeah no changes as far as i can tell
― monotony, Monday, 22 April 2013 22:42 (six years ago) Permalink
"set me free" is ENORMOUS and shoulda been the lead-off single instead of "you"
― monotony, Monday, 22 April 2013 22:43 (six years ago) Permalink
I still don't get why "I Love It" didn't get the praise this is getting, I know it's noisy and brash but that's kinda the point?
This keeps getting better on repeated listens, it's not so much that it's a grower as
― boxedjoy, Monday, 22 April 2013 22:50 (six years ago) Permalink
kind of amazing nobody's made a youtube of that actually
― El Tomboto, Saturday, 29 July 2017 18:48 (one year ago) Permalink
enjoying Pop 2, especially Backseat and Femmebot
― ufo, Friday, 15 December 2017 05:31 (one year ago) Permalink
wow this is the charli album I've been waiting forjust three songs in and I'm floored
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, 15 December 2017 09:15 (one year ago) Permalink
just saw this in Spotify - is it a proper album?
― Jeff W, Friday, 15 December 2017 12:42 (one year ago) Permalink
it's a 'mixtape' and basically it's Number 1 Angel part 2
― ufo, Friday, 15 December 2017 12:47 (one year ago) Permalink
I have no idea how to differentiate between mixtape and album in this case. is it just because there is no physical release?
not to taint opinions out of the gate, but PC Music is all over this. it's also very good, Out of My Head in particular.
― fffv, Friday, 15 December 2017 15:03 (one year ago) Permalink
no physical release + no real label support yeah
her next 'proper album' was finished like a year ago iirc but has been held back endlessly. after the afterparty is supposed to be on it and id imagine boys too
― ufo, Friday, 15 December 2017 15:12 (one year ago) Permalink
after a few more listens I feel pretty confident saying this is both her best album and the best PC Music-adjacent release
― ufo, Saturday, 16 December 2017 15:08 (one year ago) Permalink
Checked this out after the year-end polls and Backseat has been in my head for days.
― how's life, Monday, 5 February 2018 18:02 (one year ago) Permalink
I’m a dreamer
― Free jazz baser (Ross), Sunday, 13 May 2018 03:04 (one year ago) Permalink
https://pitchfork.com/news/listen-to-charli-xcxs-new-song-5-in-the-morning/
New Charli XCX song. I can't listen to it at the moment.
― how's life, Thursday, 31 May 2018 12:48 (eleven months ago) Permalink
test
― how's life, Thursday, 31 May 2018 13:28 (eleven months ago) Permalink
ok, was having a weird posting problem for a minute there. Also this:
i am going to release a lot music this year. and a lot of videos. you’re gonna be so fucking sick of me.— CHARLI XCX (@charli_xcx) May 30, 2018
― how's life, Thursday, 31 May 2018 13:29 (eleven months ago) Permalink
not good at all yeesh
― J0rdan S., Thursday, 31 May 2018 13:30 (eleven months ago) Permalink
tbh
― lowercase (eric), Thursday, 31 May 2018 13:37 (eleven months ago) Permalink
this feels like it was from the same sessions as After the Afterparty because it's just as dull
― ufo, Thursday, 31 May 2018 14:01 (eleven months ago) Permalink
I've only casually kept up w/her since "Boom Clap" (which I loved); but a track like this seems to erase everything that was distinctive about her... it's super generic and could be anyone.
― i’m still stanning (morrisp), Thursday, 31 May 2018 16:49 (eleven months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHnWzQp_Ehw
still waiting for her to release Girls Night Out which she's done live a lot and it owns
― ufo, Thursday, 31 May 2018 17:04 (eleven months ago) Permalink
it's only a 28-second clip unless you have Spotify
― we used to get our kicks reading surfing MAGAzines (sic), Thursday, 31 May 2018 17:44 (eleven months ago) Permalink
two new songs - Focus and No Angel. quite like No Angel, would fit right in with the best of Pop 2 but Focus only has one idea and it's not a very good one
― ufo, Friday, 29 June 2018 06:24 (ten months ago) Permalink
also teaming back with Icona Pop on a Tove Lo joint
― kelp, clam and carrion (sic), Friday, 29 June 2018 07:27 (ten months ago) Permalink
i'm a dreamer
― stoker (Ross), Friday, 29 June 2018 07:53 (ten months ago) Permalink
I'm glad we finally got "No Angel". The next challenge is for her to release "Taxi"!
― monotony, Friday, 29 June 2018 07:54 (ten months ago) Permalink
I like “Focus”! It reminds me of one of the more chill Basement Jaxx tracks, like they tended to close albums with. Though I guess your mileage may vary with those as well, but I enjoy them.
― You're all losing so many points on your progress bars (Champiness), Friday, 29 June 2018 19:30 (ten months ago) Permalink
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2UdI2gAChU
this one's fantastic, so happy to hear it finally get released
― ufo, Friday, 27 July 2018 04:11 (nine months ago) Permalink
it's so Perfume
― ufo, Friday, 27 July 2018 12:35 (nine months ago) Permalink
she was so great last night!! i hadn't seen her live in years and i'm glad she still has so much energy
― maura, Friday, 27 July 2018 23:02 (nine months ago) Permalink
Foxboro? I agree. She def. did a lot of “Let’s make some noise, Foxboro!” and “I’m Charli XCX” (which I guess made some sense since she was the opener and people were coming in) – but I thought she was generally terrific.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 27 July 2018 23:56 (nine months ago) Permalink
am I the only one who really likes "5 in the Morning"
― wayne trotsky (Simon H.), Friday, 27 July 2018 23:58 (nine months ago) Permalink
it sounded good last night
― maura, Saturday, 28 July 2018 03:08 (nine months ago) Permalink
I like 5 in the Morning!
― fragglerock, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 10:22 (nine months ago) Permalink
"I Got It" = terror portal into infinite beat nightmare BRILLIANT
― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Tuesday, 31 July 2018 13:15 (nine months ago) Permalink
I'm increasingly convinced that Backseat is one of the best songs this decade - it's thrilling in the way that Perfume's Polyrhythm and so little else is
― ufo, Tuesday, 31 July 2018 13:24 (nine months ago) Permalink
"Girls Night Out" makes me wish I was a girl and I could have a night out
― boxedjoy, Saturday, 4 August 2018 16:06 (nine months ago) Permalink
only know Number One Angel but love it, what else should i hear
― dig me out requiem (Ross), Friday, 7 September 2018 15:53 (eight months ago) Permalink
absolutely love 'true romance' from start to end, serves as a good intro imo
― nxd, Friday, 7 September 2018 16:01 (eight months ago) Permalink
thanks nxd
― dig me out requiem (Ross), Friday, 7 September 2018 16:01 (eight months ago) Permalink
whereas I like the Rock Charli of Sucker, which I like allllmost beginning to end (i start fading a couple of tracks from the end)
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Friday, 7 September 2018 16:05 (eight months ago) Permalink
Pop 2 is just Number 1 Angel but way better so that's what I'd recommend next. True Romance is pretty good too
― ufo, Friday, 7 September 2018 16:09 (eight months ago) Permalink
thanks, you are all too sweet
― dig me out requiem (Ross), Friday, 7 September 2018 16:10 (eight months ago) Permalink
"siri, pls take anne-marie's '2002' and lose the anachronisms, and make it a bit more believable, oh, and throw a donk on it, and a bit of house piano too"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRkB8FlkmVM
― monotony, Friday, 5 October 2018 10:39 (seven months ago) Permalink
we don't need the young wolverine on the song :(
― brackEt, Friday, 5 October 2018 14:16 (seven months ago) Permalink
He was 4 in 1999.
― MarkoP, Friday, 5 October 2018 15:00 (seven months ago) Permalink
this kicks ass
― princess of hell (BradNelson), Friday, 5 October 2018 15:37 (seven months ago) Permalink
Troye's crushing on Johnathan Taylor Thomas is cute, but otherwise this is pretty much the Ready Player One of music: depthless pop culture nostalgia from an artist (Charli, here) who should know better.
― Engles in the Outfield (cryptosicko), Friday, 5 October 2018 15:38 (seven months ago) Permalink
this is pretty good but it's no "No Angel" which is one of her best ever tracks
― ufo, Friday, 5 October 2018 15:41 (seven months ago) Permalink
literally pick any random song off the charts from 1999 and it's likely to be significantly better than this song
almost offended b/c i have extremely fond memories of 1999 and its pop music
― dyl, Saturday, 6 October 2018 03:20 (seven months ago) Permalink
New song with Lizzo forthcoming?
https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/charli-xcx-announces-new-music-landing-this-week
― groovypanda, Tuesday, 14 May 2019 09:28 (one week ago) Permalink
oh that's interesting, a demo of "blame it on your love" leaked a while ago (like all her stuff does lol) and it was the basis for what eventually became "track 10" but had a much more conventional verse/chorus structure so i wonder if this is going to keep the same hook from "track 10"?
she said on twitter her new material is 'kind of a continuation of pop 2' which can only be a good thing, pop 2 was so so good. "backseat" and "track 10" remain some of the most thrilling tracks of the decade
― ufo, Tuesday, 14 May 2019 09:56 (one week ago) Permalink
it's Track 10 but not as good, yeah
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9Q4ttXokGs
― Number None, Wednesday, 15 May 2019 18:52 (one week ago) Permalink