Charlie XCX has become one of the most essential musical artists of the era.
BRAT was one of the albums of Summer 2024. It captured the zeitgeist in a way few albums can ever hope to. The reworked version of it, Brat and It’s Completely Different but Also Still Brat was an equally brilliant masterstroke. A range of collaborations that elevated many of the tracks. Then Brat Summer gave way to Bronte Winter. The first of her two albums released this year, a Wuthering Heights soundtrack to a film that really didn’t deserve the level of quality Charli bought to it.
Given the Wuthering Heights work another album came as a pleasant surprise. Charli will be spoilt for choice for tracks at her Reading Festival headline set next month.
Music, Fashion, Film is a really loose collection of tracks. There is a fun simplicity to it all, nothing is overthought. Charli simply vibes off of her favourite three things – music, fashion and film – alongside a few relationship thoughts and doubts along the way. ‘Rock Music’ is a slightly tongue in cheek opener. No, this is not a rock album. However, Charli uses guitars more liberally here than on BRAT. Equally, she isn’t throwing out everything she learnt on Wuthering Heights. ‘I’m Afraid’ would have fitted in quite nicely with that collection.
The tracks generate a huge swell of energy that sweeps you up into it all. ‘Yeah’ is a great example of this. ‘Wink Wink’ is just joyous genius. Charli is clearly feeling inspired and in the zone right now, it feels like this Imperial Phase could extend for a good few years yet. Is it as good as BRAT? Maybe not quite, but it isn’t very far off. Don’t doubt her artistry either. Look at that photo on the album cover, she wants to be talked about in the same way as Cale, Jacobs and Scorsese. She could have collaborated with anybody on the planet for this album and who is the one guest spot? David Cronenberg talking about art and artistry.
Essential Tracks: ‘Rock Music,’ ‘SS26,’ ‘Camera,’ ‘I’m Afraid,’ ‘Yeah,’ ‘Wink Wink’ and ‘No One Lasts Forever.’
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