All the way back in 2008, a 16-year-old girl from Essex, England, by the name of Charlotte Atchinson began posting songs she made in her bedroom on MySpace. Soon after, she was discovered by label Asylum Records and rose to global stardom in 2012 with the worldwide smash hit “I Love It.” Since then, Charli XCX hasn’t missed a beat, working tirelessly to reinvent the face of pop music.
“CRASH” is an incredibly huge achievement for experimental pop superstar Charli XCX. For the first time in her decade-long career, she has an album that has reached the top 10 on the US Billboard 200 Chart, debuting at number seven. In her home of the United Kingdom, she’s done even better – her very first number one album.
The last time we saw Charli XCX, it was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic all around the world and the release of her sixth album “how i’m feeling now,” which was produced over a swift 39 day period in the comfort of her own home. Fans played a crucial role in the creation of the album, with Charli herself going on Instagram and creating the songs via livestream. Now, she’s back in full swing with her most cohesive, polished record yet.
“CRASH” opens with the electric, high-energy title track of the same name. She opens the song with quite fitting words for the vivacious and energetic album that lies ahead – “I’m about to crash into the water, gonna take you with me” – and a fabulously on the nose metaphor for the 12 spirited tracks that await the listener.
Each track has an irresistible and recognizable flair, whether it be the airy and bubbly vibe of “Twice” or the cynical and thrilling spirit of “Good Ones.”
XCX doesn’t take the listener on this electropop journey alone, however. She is joined by collaborators Caroline Polacheck and Christine & The Queens on the synth-filled powerhouse “New Shapes.” Charlie XCX also worked with Rina Sawayama on a reinterpretation of September’s “Cry for You,” transforming the song into a chillaxed bedroom pop-inspired interpretation called “Beg for You.”
The standout tracks, however, come when Charli XCX shows her sassy and provocative side on empowering anthems like “Baby” and “Yuck.” “Baby” is a career highlight for XCX — a high-speed, steamy song about chasing down a lover that incorporates a fast and alluring beat along with a gorgeous series of strings during the song’s anthem. “Yuck” is quite similar thematically to “Baby” but with a bit of a more pessimistic view on chasing lovers down.
XCX rounds the album out with a nice collection of breezy and pleasant tracks that divert a bit from the high-speed tracks of the rest of the album. “Move Me,” “Lightning” and “Every Rule” cool the jets; each song is soft and soothing enough to bring the listener down from the adrenaline rush of the album’s more unconventional and rambunctious tracks.
Although “CRASH” isn’t as much of a risk as Charli XCX’s other projects, it’s still exactly what it intends to be – fun. Even though some of the tracks aren’t as memorable as Charli’s cult classics like “Vroom Vroom” and “Boys,” every tune brings something to the table, forming the pieces to a cohesive pop puzzle that makes for an enjoyable listen, even for non-fans of the experimental pop aficionado.
