Charli - Charli XCX

[ZiggyZiggs 29,846]

She’s one of the few exciting artists left in pop music, literally no one is doing it like her, I listened to thank u next after I listened to the album and  it just sounded so uninteresting  her MIND 

[IAmNotHere1997 25,824]

Such a consistent album, one of my favourites of this year. Love at first listen. There are few mediocre tracks, but they still sound cohesive. 

[Spock 20,290]

This album is amazing

It really does feel like next level Charli because even though it mainly pulls from Pop 2, you can totally hear the True Romance and Number 1 Angel influences and how she has evolved as an artist. It goes from pop to experimental to everything in between. Some moments feel like I'm high speed crashing my car while huffing on poppers and I'm 100% here for it

The production is absolutely INSANE. Click and Shake It blew my wig off. This album really sounds like a future version of pop music, and it's super forward thinking in so many ways. It's the perfect balance of traditional bubblegum pop with a futuristic sound. Which is why, even if SOPHIE isn't on it, I just can't bring myself to understand all the pushback from the tasteless gays on here. Her influences are all over this, and the thought of Gaga working with her and evolving her sound like this... whew she would slay everything. But then again, as it has been covered in this thread already, taste  

Shake It is definitely one of the highlights for me. Charli's autotune, Cupcakke's ASMR gig, Brooke's verse... Like, I literally need someone to help me find my wig

I also love 2099, and it's so weird because I really thought it was a stupid mess when I heard it at Go West Fest. The ballads are also amazing: Cross You Out, I Don't Want To Know, Official, White Mercedes.. just whew. I like Thoughts but it feels like a Tears re-hash.

My only criticism would be that some tracks do feel really short and more like interludes, and would have been so much better being one minute or even thirty seconds longer.

But in terms of my favorite tracks, I really don't know yet because I still have to process it (I still can't do a Lover top 3), but my bottom 3 would be Warm, February 2017 and BIOYL. Doesn't mean I don't like them though

So yeah, Charli is a SERVE and she did not disappoint 

[BradleyCooper 1,783]

The ending of Click actually scared me  I'm really enjoying the production of these songs though

[Enzo 37,977]

Next Level Charli is probably my least fav  

Gone sounds so much better after that track  

1999 a bop as usual  

Click left me bald BEEEEEEEEEETCH what is that ending  skasjasaksjkskdsk

Thoughts is okay I guess, not a standout track for sure

BIOYL another bop, Lizzo snapped

White Mercedes, I'm in love, reminds me of a Julia Michaels track

Silver Cross is a serve

I Don't Wanna Know too, maybe the solo tracks are the best ones  

I- Official is it,  the instrumental kskskkss, my ears are blessed

Shake It, I live for it  cupcakKe doing ASMR I C, Pabllo also snapped

2099 is a great way to end the album  

a masterpiece indeed

[not Chromatica 5,393]

28 minutes ago, Spock said:

This album is amazing

It really does feel like next level Charli because even though it mainly pulls from Pop 2, you can totally hear the True Romance and Number 1 Angel influences and how she has evolved as an artist. It goes from pop to experimental to everything in between. Some moments feel like I'm high speed crashing my car while huffing on poppers and I'm 100% here for it

The production is absolutely INSANE. Click and Shake It blew my wig off. This album really sounds like a future version of pop music, and it's super forward thinking in so many ways. It's the perfect balance of traditional bubblegum pop with a futuristic sound. Which is why, even if SOPHIE isn't on it, I just can't bring myself to understand all the pushback from the tasteless gays on here. Her influences are all over this, and the thought of Gaga working with her and evolving her sound like this... whew she would slay everything. But then again, as it has been covered in this thread already, taste  

Shake It is definitely one of the highlights for me. Charli's autotune, Cupcakke's ASMR gig, Brooke's verse... Like, I literally need someone to help me find my wig

I also love 2099, and it's so weird because I really thought it was a stupid mess when I heard it at Go West Fest. The ballads are also amazing: Cross You Out, I Don't Want To Know, Official, White Mercedes.. just whew. I like Thoughts but it feels like a Tears re-hash.

My only criticism would be that some tracks do feel really short and more like interludes, and would have been so much better being one minute or even thirty seconds longer.

But in terms of my favorite tracks, I really don't know yet because I still have to process it (I still can't do a Lover top 3), but my bottom 3 would be Warm, February 2017 and BIOYL. Doesn't mean I don't like them though

So yeah, Charli is a SERVE and she did not disappoint 

Which ones, though? Apart from NLC and February 2017 every other song is longer than 3 minutes. At first the latter frustrated me a bit, but I learned to love it eventually. Kinda like Grimes' laughing and not being normal. It is just what it is and I appreciate it for that. I also wish the climax in Warm lasted longer but I still love that one dearly. 2013 me would croak if he knew Charli and HAIM would work together on a track THAT incredible. Regardless, it's a serve and we have been fed properly. Gaga better take notes while she's still promoting Joanne Ointments and finishing the record.

[Tom Bradley 1,638]

during the intro to Shake It, one of the vocal effects sounds like somebody shaking a bottle of water in your ears when listened to through headphones ... gives me all the ASMR tingles

[Bio 23,538]

I think I'm officially too old for Charli XCX  Turned off that noise immediately and went back to NFR 

[BlingNotTheMusic 25,991]

1 hour ago, highlyreductive said:

But in all seriousness, stanning her has been so gratifying. Like, no awful silence periods, no waiting years between releases, etc. Not that there's anything bad with that, every artist is entitled to their own (s)pace but for a stan it can be excruciating (something we're quite familiar with lol). She had only teased this album for like 6 months, and had been feeding us with 7 singles prior to the album release. Even between Pop 2 and Charli  she was releasing stand-alone singles and she's been releasing stuff consistently throughout her entire career. But the point isn't even the quantity; she's blessed us with ever-evolving music that has changed the pop landscape by constantly challenging and subverting it. I could go on about this forever but I'm gonna end on this note: This album really sounds like the future of pop and I'm excited to see where she takes us next. It's also made my wait for LG6 easily bearable.

LG6 were looking at you sweetie

[Spock 20,290]

36 minutes ago, highlyreductive said:

Which ones, though? Apart from NLC and February 2017 every other song is longer than 3 minutes. At first the latter frustrated me a bit, but I learned to love it eventually. Kinda like Grimes' laughing and not being normal. It is just what it is and I appreciate it for that. I also wish the climax in Warm lasted longer but I still love that one dearly. 2013 me would croak if he knew Charli and HAIM would work together on a track THAT incredible. Regardless, it's a serve and we have been fed properly. Gaga better take notes while she's still promoting Joanne Ointments and finishing the record.

NLC, Feb 2017 and 2099, to me, sound more like long interludes than full songs. And yeah I also like the Warm outro but just don't vibe with the song at all for now

[not Chromatica 5,393]

10 minutes ago, AHippieIsBorn said:

LG6 were looking at you sweetie

I meaaaan....... 👀👀👀👀👀

[aaron l 11,999]

Thoughts creeping up to be one of my fav songs of the year 

[not Chromatica 5,393]

3 minutes ago, Spock said:

NLC, Feb 2017 and 2099, to me, sound more like long interludes than full songs. And yeah I also like the Warm outro but just don't vibe with the song at all for now

I get it... I personally love Official, but I don't think I'll really feel it  until winter comes and it's snowing while I'm having my hot coca in bed, covered in blankets, thinking about...... stuff...

[Lord Temptation 11,209]

Her music sounds stuck in that 2013-2016 phase. Honestly it’s so dated. It might’ve been edgy in 2012 but that was a long time ago.

[Suspiria 10,683]

Instrumentals are wild as always, it's definitely an evolution from even just last summer's singles. Listening to this compared to N1A is just another level.

 

However I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss the super catchy, colourful pop melodies from Pop 2 and her singles last year, especially the big, ear shattering choruses. Gone, BIOYL and a couple of others are of course amazing pop songs, but overall the album just feels a bit... flat? Tuneless? And I certainly don't think any of the lyrics are enough to make up for the lack of melody.

So while the production has taken a definite step forward the songwriting seems to have gone backwards... 2099 is cool because of the whacked out sound effects but the actual song is pretty awful and flat - and Troye was just a dreadful choice for this song, he really can't pull it off.

 

Overall slightly underwhelmed. Some great songs and incredible production, but feels a bit of a step down after the utterly flawless and loveable Pop 2.