She’s the pop-botherer with a penchant for capital letters and dancing her legs off; world, meet Charli XCX. It feels a little strange to be introducing an artist that has already amassed such a huge following in a short amount of time, but regardless; she’s fresh, she’s about to break through, and she fits very nicely (and unashamedly) into the modern pop category.
Relevance doesn’t simply mean chucking a bit of dubstep into the mix, as most other pop stars would have you believe – rather, Charli is producing exciting beats and arrangements that will impress mature pop fans, and she’s layering them with believable, relatable lyrics that should sit well with teens. There’s a frantic enthusiasm in the lady herself that is a breath of fresh air to the increasingly serious business of pop.
Straight talking seems to be one of Charli’s main charms, and this is particularly evident in the chatty style of Dreams Money Can Buy – enjoy it before the inevitable major label media training sets in, folks. Champagne Coast has a Ke$ha feel, but it’s individualised by its distinctly British air. Meanwhile, the Pet Shop Boys-meet-Depeche Mode flavour of Nuclear Seasons, current single You’re The One and How Can I bring a dark flavour to her pop, and it’s all the better for it – it’s goth-pop, if you will, and it’s brilliant. Tunes like this will set her apart and will allow her to be one of the most exciting acts of 2013.
Having the right music simply isn’t enough anymore. There’s so much talent still going unheard, but we can all only hope that the right people are in place to bring Charli into the mainstream. The indie fans may squeal with terror, but tunes like Lock You Up and Grins refuse to be contained in the murky depths of the underground – they’re practically bursting to be unleashed to mainstream audiences. There will be some fine tuning going on, but more of the dark stuff, the same generous amount of hooks and her in-your-face personality should cement Charli’s status as a future chart contender.
Watch the video for You’re The One by clicking the icon on the photo.
