Having Charli XCX’s name and ‘pop pioneer’ in the same sentence feels correct.
After slaying the industry with her synthpop debut True Romance and her punk-pop sophomore follow-up Sucker, the British singer-songwriter radically changed her sound with the experimental and futuristic 2017 mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2.
Although she hasn’t reached the top of the charts with her recent bops, like in her Fancy and Boom Clap days, the star has garnered a legion of new fans – particularly within the LGBTQ community. Often, you’ll see queer fans on social media calling Charli the “future of pop” or kindly asking whether she’s received medical treatment for her back, due to the fact that she’s “carrying all of pop music”. (Apparently she gets weekly massages, so she’s doing alright.)
This year sees the release of Charli’s incredible, long-awaited self-titled third studio album, which features a host of queer talent such as Pabllo Vittar, Christine and the Queens, Big Freedia, Brooke Candy and Kim Petras – raising LGBTQ voices and proving her status as an ally.
To commemorate the album’s release and her upcoming UK tour, Charli linked up with friend and fellow pop saviour Troye Sivan to discuss their “futuristic” new collaboration, and the reasons she wouldn’t be where she is without support from the LGBTQ community.
Troye Sivan:
Hey Charli! I’m gonna play interviewer today. First, a question about me. Can you remember the first time we met?
Charli XCX:
I think the first time we met was at my house when I threw that house party. You were sitting on one of those high chairs in my kitchen. I remember being worried I freaked you out. I think I had a lot of nervous energy that day and was probably talking at 100 miles per hour and being kind of intense. So my first impression of the situation was just that I was worried you found me too much! But my impression of you was cool, calm and collected. And very kind. You always radiate an extremely kind energy.
Troye Sivan:
You are far, far too kind. I remember being so nervous to say hello to you. Now, I got to collaborate with you twice on your new album. How would you say 1999 compares to 2099?
Charli XCX:
I mean 1999 is a pop banger. It’s nostalgic and it’s fun and it’s silly – in a good way. It’s definitely more of a classically written pop song in so many ways: the structure, the lyrics, the melody. 2099 is sort of the polar opposite. It’s aggressive and futuristic and the production and the lyrics are antagonistic in many ways. 2099 is very braggy I suppose – basically us just saying we’re the shit. It has a dark energy. I love 2099 so much. The ending is very hardcore. I heard your dog gets frightened of the outro.
Troye Sivan:
[Laughs] He does, he whines. And a big question, but how would you describe the Charli album overall?
Charli XCX:
A rollercoaster ride in the fast lane [laughs]. No but seriously it’s like a mixture of all my emotions. I know every artist says their new album is their most personal, it’s not exactly a groundbreaking piece of information, but for me this album really is that. In the past I think I’ve always managed to be just personal enough without really giving anything away. My stories have never been totally fabricated but they have more been about general emotions or feelings which many people go through and relate to. This album gets specific, from in-depth thoughts on my insecurities and loneliness in songs like Gone and Thoughts to literal specific dates in February 2017, where I almost ruined one of the most important relationships of my life. In particular, I would describe the album as cathartic, it’s almost like therapy in some ways… I confess and I feel better I suppose. The thoughts in my head just finally felt like they needed to come out. It feels good to talk about it on this record, and what’s weird is that I really didn’t plan it that way, it just sort of started happening and I went with it.
Troye Sivan:
Would you say this is a continuation of your previous releases? Or something totally new?
Charli XCX:
It’s a combination. There’s definitely moments which can be related to Pop 2 and then there’s a few more pop moments. I explore down-tempo and emotional moments more than I have before sonically. But I mean, essentially, I called it Charli because the music on here feels like the most representative of who I am – or was when I made it: a girl who loves pop but also loves the underground and enjoys playing both off one another.
Troye Sivan:
I love that. Your last studio album was released in 2014 – why have you steered clear of the ‘album’ term for as long as you have?
Charli XCX:
I mean, two reasons. One, I was scared no one really wanted one. It took the two mixtapes – which in a way were albums I suppose – 10 original tracks, original artworks etc for me to really connect with not only myself, but my fans too. After Number 1 Angel and Pop 2 I felt like I knew who my fans were more than ever before, and I knew how much we had in common. I felt like they had really embraced me for taking a risk and making the music that was always inside of my brain – music that was true to me and wasn’t restricted by fear of commercial success or failure. I connected with them and they understood me and I felt safe. And so I think that’s partially why I was like, ‘Okay now it’s album time.’ Secondly, I thought I didn’t care about albums, but then I changed my mind and realized I did. I can be annoying like that sometimes.
Troye Sivan:
Will we have to wait another five years for the next one?
Charli XCX:
[Laughs] No! I’m already thinking about the next one, but I won’t really go into that yet. Let’s get this one out first!
Troye Sivan:
We heard a big, inspired change in sound with your mixtapes – what brought that new direction?
Charli XCX:
I mean, it’s kind of what I was saying earlier. I just threw my hands up in the air and thought, ‘Fuck it!’ 2014 and 2015 were fun years for me for sure; I experienced global commercial success with songs I wrote and featured on and performed as a solo artist. I got to travel the world, perform in amazing places and see amazing things, but at the end of it all, I didn’t feel like I was successful, despite the money, the stats, the chart positions. It took me a while to figure out why but I think it was because I didn’t live for the music I was making. And that’s why I thought, ‘Okay, just forget about all the things that you think matter, just make what you want to hear in a club.’ And I started doing that and I felt so happy. Suddenly I felt successful. Because I felt like I was doing something that only I could do. I would never have put Boom Clap on in my car and driven around a city at 2amlistening to it. I literally do that with Pop 2 all the time. I put it on in my car and drive around LA and think, ‘Fuck, I did that.’ No shade to Boom Clap though of course, I wouldn’t be here without her.
Troye Sivan:
I think you are such a testament to truly treating your audience with respect. You create art you truly love and believe in, and get die hard, real fans in return – did you notice a big change in your fanbase after Number 1 Angel and Pop 2?
Charli XCX:
The change was astronomical! I just felt this sense of mass connection. It was like, I don’t know, they’d always been there but they’d been waiting for me to get real with them and show them who I really was. And I think I just got brave and did it. I wasn’t hiding or restricting myself anymore for fear of being disliked, I was just being true to myself. And authenticity always wins. You can package an artist up in a nice little bow and put them on a stage for a million people to see and the song might be huge but will the artist live on forever? Probably not. The song might, but will the artist? I’m not sure. Number 1 Angel and Pop 2 are uniquely me, it’s truly a language only I can speak and create with my collaborators. The people who connected with those mixtapes will remember them forever, and my fans really connected to them. It’s like our special secret. They became hardcore.
Troye Sivan:
Every single one of my LGBTQ friends is a fan of you. The gays love you, Charls. Why?
Charli XCX:
Because I honestly think that the LGBTQ community has better taste! Like truly. I think it’s also about that sense of embracing who you are and being proud to be different. I am proud to be different now, and stand on the fringes of pop music but also be totally obsessed with it and maybe my LGBTQ fans can relate to that feeling. I also think LGBTQ culture is progressive as a whole, and I know from experience of talking to my fans, they are often the first onto the newest shit. There is a link with the LGBTQ scene and the underground scene in so many ways, and maybe that’s why there’s a strong link between the community and the music I make, because it plays with pop and underground.
Troye Sivan:
What is it about queer culture that appeals to you so much? There’s a very real connection there.
Charli XCX:
I think it’s this inexplicable sense of freedom that queer culture exudes. It’s so liberating to not be in a box. It makes me feel inspired and able to explore anything I want to. It’s not even a conscious decision to present myself or immerse myself in a certain culture or place. I just gravitate towards the things I do naturally and don’t think too much about it. I like feeling creatively free. And I love doing exactly the opposite of what people hope or expect from me.
Troye Sivan:
More importantly, you’ve given so many queer artists a platform with guest features on your music – like me, thank you! Why is it so important for you personally to lift up the LGBTQ community?
Charli XCX:
I mean, I feel like I wouldn’t be here without the LGBTQ community. They are such a core part of my fanbase and have stuck with me through the highs and lows, through times where no one cared, they were there still cheering me on. The LGBTQ community has given me the confidence to express myself and be myself and not care about the consequences. I am eternally grateful for that, so yeah, if I hear something I like I will put them on. But honestly, like I said before it’s not even a conscious decision – I just kind of feel like artists who move in a queer space or are related to a queer space in some sort of way tend to have better ideas and make music that I instantly gravitate towards anyways. Taste jumped out, as they say.
Troye Sivan:
Who are some artists you’ve wanted to work with but haven’t had the chance yet?
Charli XCX:
Robyn, Matty Healy and Rina Sawayama. They’re all brilliant and I would love to work with them. Grimes is also on the list, we actually did make a song for this album but we decided to go back to the drawing board and try to make something more pop and less techno.
Troye Sivan:
Ughhhhhhh, yes to all of those. The gays are always speculating about a new Lady Marmalade remake… who would your ideal lineup be?
Charli XCX:
[Laughs] I mean, imagine a Lady Marmalade version with you, Kim Petras, CupcakKe, me and SOPHIE. Send me to heaven!
Troye Sivan:
Gag. To me, charts suck and are annoying. I love the idea of celebrating music finding a mass audience, but I hate the idea of turning a creative pursuit into a numerical competition – in 2019 do you think chart positions matter anymore?
Charli XCX:
To me they don’t. But maybe to some people they do. I think art matters. I just care about the music I make, and when I make it I’m quite selfish in the sense that I just make music I wanna hear, so if people can identify with it it’s almost like a bonus, you know? But I know that my music is not like, appealing to everyone. It’s too intense and I’m too trolly for that!
Troye Sivan:
Your tours are known for being wild, and just generally the best (remember the guy who swung from the roof?) – how do you create that environment?
Charli XCX:
I just try and make my shows feel as little like a gig as possible and as much like a rave or house party. I want to taste the sweat! I want to feel like we’re all in it together and I don’t really want there to be this barrier between me and the people watching. I like it when things get out of control and a bit anarchic.
Troye Sivan:
Your fans wanted me to ask… When are you going to release Taxi?
Charli XCX:
Oh my god, Troye. Shut up.
Charli is now available on iTunes and streaming services – check out our five star review here.
Photography Ryan Pfluger
Fashion Alison Brooks
Hair Clyde Haygood
Makeup Holly Silius
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