Who doesn’t want to dance with Charli XCX? Since her debut, the U.K. star has been pop’s party girl, writing high-octane hits for other artists, such as Icona Pop’s “I Love It” and Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” while saving her most extreme and wild avant-garde impulses for her own excellent albums, most recently 2022’s Crash. On her sixth album, Brat, she stays out later and works harder than ever before. And while she’s spinning around on the dance floor, she’s also spiraling out of her head, delving into the kinds of insecurities and fears that are usually reserved for the morning after.
Brat swings between extremes from song to song, a hyperpop roller coaster of post-Saturn return, early-thirties anxieties, and It-girl confidence. The album opens with the one-two punch of “360” and “Club Classics,” a pair of bouncy ragers on which Charli mentions famous friends Gabbriette, Julia Fox, Hudson Mohawke, boyfriend George Daniel, and Brat co-executive producer A. G. Cook. They’re a throwback to classic club hits that don’t do much more than encourage you to let go and dance.
By the time we get to “Sympathy Is a Knife,” it’s clear that Charli has only taken half of the advice. It’s the first of several tracks in which she expresses her most conflicted emotions over energetic beats. “Sympathy” expresses her paranoia, the voice in her head telling her she is not enough. Even though she requires sympathy, it is even more painful when she obtains her desired outcome.
Read More: Richard M. Sherman, ‘Mary Poppins’ Songwriter, Dies at 95
Later, on “Rewind,” she lists all of the aspects of herself that she is embarrassed about: her face, her weight, her fame, and her chart success. On “So I,” Charli is overcome with sadness as she recalls her friend and collaborator Sophie, who died in 2021. The singer discusses how she wishes she had drawn the late artist closer rather than being intimidated by Sophie’s talent and harsh but loving critiques when the two collaborated.
“Girl, So Confusing” delves into a different type of relationship, with Charli revealing a complicated frenemy dynamic with another female pop star. “You’re all about writing poems, but I’m about throwing parties,” she says. Though she celebrates “Mean Girls” later on the album, this song extends an olive branch despite how little she and her mystery peer appear to share.
The album concludes with two of its standout tracks. “I Think About It All the Time” is a stunning confessional about the future and motherhood, leaving existential questions about when it will be appropriate for her to pursue that aspect of her life unanswered. When she realizes she doesn’t have all the answers, we jump right into “365,” the most euphoric club offering on an album full of euphoric club offerings; “Shall we do a little key?/Shall we have a little line?” she asks, as if the entire album has been one long, drunk bathroom-queue conversation with Charli all along. Who better to have a soul-baring conversation with in the middle of the night?
Charli XCX Drops Remix of ‘360’ with Robyn and Yung Lean
Charli XCX has released a new remix to her viral hit 360, and we believe this new version of the electro-pop earworm has taken the song to the next level. Charli did not, however, go it alone this time. She created the 360 remix with help from Yung Lean and Robyn.
“I know you want to dream like Lean / Wanna be like Lean / But it isn’t as simple as it appears / Who can I trust? On the track, Lean raps, “We put this sh*t together, so carelessly,” while Robyn responds, “I’m the realest ever, huh / That is what I have been told. Killing this sh*t since 1994. Got everyone in the club to dance on their own.
For those who don’t know, Leanne and Robyn are both Swedish artists.
Charli XCX Releases ‘360’ Remix with Yung Lean and Robyn
The newly released 360 remix by Charli joins a list of previously published songs that includes Von Dutch, Club Classics, B2B, and the original 360 version as the sixth track on the British musician’s upcoming album Brat. Below, take a look at the 360 remix.
Charli, Lean, and Robyn Have Been Friends for Years
Charli recently highlighted Yung Lean in a TikTok interview, citing him as an example of a musician with artistry. In March, the rapper and Bladee released a surprise album titled Psykos together.
Regarding her friendship with Robyn, Charli tweeted over a year ago, “Me and Robyn have been recording music in the studio.” Happy pride;).” Robyn’s most recent musical effort was the 2018 album Honey.
The release date for Charli’s Brat is June 7. She’s also planned an autumn tour with Troye Sivan.
