Charli XCX veers into her big pop era with CRASH
After years of being the face of experimental pop, Charli plays into conventionality on her new album
With the release of “Vroom Vroom” in 2016, Charli XCX became the face of experimental pop. The sexy and over-the-top SOPHIE-produced track turned the singer-songwriter from an artist primarily known for her features on hits by Iggy Azealia and Icona Pop to one who would define the boundaries of popular music for years to come. “Vroom Vroom” gave way to the glitzy, bubblegum Number 1 Angel then the futuristic Pop 2. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she worked solo on the polarizing hyperpop-influenced work how i’m feeling now, a DIY album that pushed the limits even for Charli.
She’s always looked toward the future, which ultimately makes CRASH—a bombastic pop album emulating the sounds of the ’70s and ’80s—a disappointment. Charli is following the example of the greats on her fifth album: The influence of Madonna, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga is obvious. But with that backward gaze, she loses what made her previous work so powerful, opting to instead sound like a weaker version of what’s already been done.
The title track kicks things off well enough: a high octane, hedonistic bop laced with recklessness. It’s reminiscent of “Next Level Charli,” inviting the listener into the album, with the exhilarating promise of high speed thrills. Then comes “New Shapes,” a straightforward, frankly forgettable single about being emotionally unavailable. With featured artists Christine And The Queens and Caroline Polachek, “New Shapes” stays one note, despite the switching up of who has the mic multiple times.
Throughout CRASH, Charli teases desire and intimacy with a razor-sharp edge. In “Constant Repeat,” she seemingly wants to be the focus of someone’s attention, hoping this other person is thinking abut her nonstop. Then there’s “Yuck,” an almost too-cheeky track about being turned off by all the otherwise cute things a suitor does. Self-destruction takes the driver’s seat on CRASH, as Charli grapples with wanting pleasure without an emotionally connection. These are self-aware songs, and the subject comes up often. On “Move Me,” she admits to undermining her best interests, just as she admits to hanging onto the bad boys in “Good Ones.” A sense of danger runs through feelings of isolation and gratification, and ultimately foretell of impending disaster.