‘Franchesckaar!’ is the debut single from Charli XCX and was released in 2008. The repeated line “Franchesckaar! They all love you”, alongside distorted beats and almost spoken vocals, shows the experimental direction her work has taken since the beginning. This track, which Charli has previously expressed that she does not think is her strongest work, had a resurgence on social media in early 2024, demonstrating how even her earliest work has a place within current internet culture.
The internet identity of Charli XCX continued to evolve, with her Tumblr aesthetic making her one of the it girls at the time and growing her popularity online. Around this time, in 2013, she released her first album, ‘True Romance’, which while it wasn’t her most commercially successful album, but it contained the track ‘You (Ha Ha Ha)’, which has retained popularity through social media. It was an album which indicated her future musical direction.
‘I Love It’, by Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX, was first released in 2012 and became a massive song which brought her a lot of popularity with a wider audience in 2013. 2014 then continued to build on the momentum in her career, with ‘Boom Clap’, alongside ‘Break The Rules’ and ‘Fancy’, released that year. ‘Boom Clap’ became what she was widely known for as a pop artist among the general public.
The release of ‘Vroom Vroom’ in 2016 acted as a really important turning point in her career. Produced with SOPHIE and later viewed as foundational to hyperpop, it has become a complete fan favourite and allowed her to completely define her sound. It feels like a successful rebrand from 'Sucker', but it was a risk chasing authenticity. While ‘Sucker’ was trying to achieve commercial success ‘Vroom Vroom’ marks the point where Charli XCX really pushes against what a pop artist is expected to be. By moving away from the expectations created from ‘Boom Clap’, and instead into more experimental music, she continues to make music that represents her, the art she wants to create and the boundaries she wants to push with mainstream pop acceptance. The influences of rave and queer culture are clear, and this project redefined expectations of her.
The releases that followed took this sound and built upon it, while still creating successful pop hits including ‘Boys’ and later ‘1999’ featuring Troye Sivan.
However, her strong hyperpop and rave influences remained in future releases, continuing to demonstrate the huge turning point which ‘Vroom Vroom’ was in her career, with songs such as ‘Anthems’ and ‘Pink Diamond’ featuring on ‘how i’m feeling now’, which are loud, intense tracks with glitchy and club-inspired sounds throughout. This album also features the highly successful track, ‘party 4 u’, which like many of her songs that reach fame beyond her fan base, contributes to a wider moment in pop culture. In this case, ‘party 4 u’ features in many iconic film and TV moments, including Overcompensating – which Charli XCX herself starred in – and the film Bottoms.
‘BRAT’ was her sixth studio album, and allowed for her to move beyond the public image of her created from ‘Boom Clap.’ The internet promotion of ‘BRAT’ had a huge impact on the success of this album reaching new listeners. The green of the album cover and text used became instantly recognisable, when seen across social media, internet memes, and even into politics, through Kamala Harris’ campaign.
Charli XCX’s understanding of internet culture continued to show, with the deluxe release of ‘BRAT’ – ‘Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat'. Among the collaborations on this release were Billie Eilish, The 1975 and Lorde, who she created another major online moment with, with the release of ‘Girl, so confusing featuring lorde', answering many questions on their supposed drama.
Her 'BRAT' era was followed by a release of a soundtrack for the Wuthering Heights film, a stark contrast from her previous project, while remaining uniquely Charli. This release presented a more dramatic, emotional and stripped-back sound. Her involvement on this soundtrack emphasised the ability of Charli XCX to be within a pop culture moment and make a statement.
Now, with her upcoming release, ‘Music, Fashion, Film’, Charli’s continual evolution as an artist feels more evident than ever, emphasised in the single ‘Wink Wink’: “you don't get me”, representing her refusal to be defined by what others expect of her.
Charli XCX’s career demonstrates that authenticity and evolution of image and sound can coexist. Rather than following trends, she has spent her career creating them, allowing herself to stay true to herself and welcome change, which can be seen from the successful risk taken in the creation of ‘Vroom Vroom’, and the huge impact that staying true to her creative instincts has had on the boundaries of mainstream pop.
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