Charli XCX is in a quandary. Or at least, that’s how it seems on her seventh album, Music Fashion Film. It’s been a strange, disjointed rollout for the pop star’s latest full-length release – her third in just over two years, if we’re including her Wuthering Heights soundtrack – not least because of the mixed messages about what the project is. The sound and themes, too, are confusing and often contradictory.
This makes sense if you know how Music Fashion Film came about. The artist born Charlotte Aitchison felt creatively drained from the era-defining sensation that was 2024’s Brat – a work that sparked endless memes, merch, TikTok dances and smoking habits. After that, she was “not inspired to write anything new”. Then her longtime collaborator AG Cook suggested they record while in Paris for fashion week; the idea of working in such a contained, hectic environment appealed. Music Fashion Film evolved into a celebration of her three favourite mediums, hence the cover art featuring a trio of heavyweights: Martin Scorsese, Marc Jacobs, John Cale. “This album is, in a way, all about how lucky I feel to be able to do what I do,” she told fans in New York City earlier this month.
