CHARLI XCX
SHE’S WRITTEN MASSIVE HITS FOR MAJOR STARS, MAKES MUSIC WHICH RARELY FAILS TO SURPRISE, AND KNOWS THE DEBT SHE OWES THE QUEER COMMUNITY FOR HER SUCCESS. WHY WOULDN’T WE GIVE CHARLI XCX AN AWARD?
THE MUSIC AWARD
WORDS: ADAM DUXBURY // PHOTOGRAPHY: ZOE MCCONNELL
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“Alot of things happen at parties. You have good times, you get to spend time with your friends. But there’s also often drama at parties: you break up with people, you fall in love. It’s the setting for a lot of things that happen in life.”
I’m perched on a stool next to Charli XCX as she prepares for her photoshoot and she’s telling me about the power of a good party. She’s keen to point out that getting trashed and having fun can be just as inspirational as any soppy romance when it comes to writing a hit single. Which is just as well because partying is the unifying vibe on her eagerly anticipated third album, due out next year.
As we chat, a pair of Olsen-esque twins are doing her hair and makeup and a nail technician is applying varnish to her toenails. The 25-yearold singer is slowly transforming into a pop star before my eyes. But, as anyone who’s followed Charli’s decade-long career will know, she’s not the kind of artist who actually needs all the bells and whistles to become a star.
Ever since her self-released debut single — !Franchesckaar! — Charli has done things her own way: writing huge bangers for massive stars, speaking her mind freely on social media, and switching her style and releasing a curveball EP as soon as people thought they had her pinned down.