Charli XCX, the hitmaker turned underground pop auteur, is building a cult-like community around her inclusive, new music.
The key to understanding what makes Charli XCX such a revelation in the world of pop music is that unlike so many before her, she knows exactly when to step out of the spotlight. “I don’t think that I could be the artist I am without collaboration; I don’t need to take center stage at all times,” says the British singer/songwriter as she reflects on how things have changed for following the massive success of her two 2017 mixtapes, Number 1 Angel and Pop 2. “I love it when CupcakKe comes to one of my shows and the crowd goes absolutely wild. I’m not mad or jealous, I’m just so excited to be there watching her.”
The same can be said for almost any one of Charli’s numerous collaborators from Brazilian pop star Pabllo Vittar to the cerebral-yet-whimsical gender-fluid iconoclasm of Dorian Electra to the understated genius of producer SOPHIE. “I feel so happy that I can call all of those artists my peers and that we are all doing something together, ” she marvels. “It feels like a very fun moment in pop culture and music that I’m just so happy to be at the center of.”
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