Charli XCX: From Myspace demos to hyperpop pioneer
Charli XCX has always been a proponent of pop music. Growing up in east London amidst the booming pop landscape of the 2000s, her teen years were soundtracked by the sugary sweetness of Britney Spears, the Spice Girls, and the occasional illegal party. When she wasn’t partaking in rave culture, Charli spent her youth on the internet. She uploaded her first album, recorded at the tender age of 14, to MySpace. It was these early demos which caught the attention of London promoters, who were eager to put her on stages in warehouses around the city.
Parties, pop, and the internet – the combination of these three crucial elements of her early years have defined Charli’s career ever since. Though she spent the early years of her music career firmly rooted in an anti-pop mindset, the worldwide success of ‘I Love It’ in 2012 catapulted her into pop stardom. After a series of endeavours in mainstream pop, including a collaboration with Iggy Azalea, a support slot alongside Katy Perry, and songwriting for the likes of Rihanna and Gwen Stefani, Charli XCX hit a turning point in the mid-2010s.
That turning point came when she met the late Scottish experimental pop producer and DJ Sophie. Leaving bubblegum, radio-friendly pop behind, Charli began creating her own avant-garde version of the genre, becoming one of the central figures in the hyperpop movement. ‘Vroom Vroom’, her first venture into this area, remains one of her best and most well-loved songs by fans and kicked off her lyrical preoccupation with cars.
Charli and Sophie’s collaborative relationship continued until Sophie’s death in 2021, as the duo forged countless sparkling synthetic soundscapes for girls’ nights out and afterparties. Hyperpop producer A.G. Cook also took an interest in Charli, recruiting her for a series of collaborations on his PC Music label, an integral piece of the hyperpop puzzle. Later, she collaborated with experimental pop icons like Cupcakke and EasyFun, joining a community of artists interested in pushing the boundaries of pop. Finally, Charli XCX had found her place in the genre – in the midst of the hyperpop revolution.
Though she may have graduated from Myspace, Charli’s adoring audience on the internet has remained stable throughout her career. Her decision to venture into hyperpop was key to maintaining this – the genre has been entirely defined around internet culture, with cyberculture aesthetics and glitchy soundscapes. Accordingly, she’s secured a position as the internet’s hyperpop darling.
This position was furthered with the release of Pop 2 in 2017, a record which featured an impressive roster of collaborators, including the likes of Carly Rae Jepsen, Caroline Polachek, and Tommy Cash. Sitting amidst a found family of artists all looking to increase the excitement and intensity of pop, Charli came into her own, and Pop 2 remains one of her best full-length releases. From the sickly sweet synths of ‘Femmebot’ to the fan favourite ‘Track 10’, Pop 2 secured Charli as a vital part of the hyperpop community.
Since then, her innovation and experimentation has only grown. The self-titled Charli furthered her ventures into avant-pop, while How I’m Feeling Now was a landmark achievement as the first album to be recorded and released during the Covid-19 lockdown. Staying true to her roots, Charli refused to let confinement to her room stop her from making music. She also refused to let it remove party culture, putting on a Zoom release party for the album and inviting her fans. It’s this intimate understanding of and care for her audience that elevates Charli’s endearing artistry.
CRASH was Charli’s most recent album to be released under her Atlantic Records contract, surrounded by a marketing campaign which capitalised on Charli supposedly ‘selling out’. A return to her dance roots, the record incorporated more classic pop sounds and synths. Despite the record’s movement away from experimentation, Charli has cultivated an audience that is so closely wrapped around her finger that CRASH received huge acclaim and is her most successful album ever.
Charli’s efforts to reinvent pop over the last decade have come to a head with ‘Speed Drive’, her contribution to the soundtrack for Greta Gerwig’s Barbie adaptation. Hyperpop for a mainstream audience, the glittering track incorporates the pink essence of Barbie as well as all of the classic Charli characteristics – fast cars, commercial aesthetics, and electronic pop. It’s the culmination of her work, demonstrating her growth from Myspace demos and warehouse raves.
With her sparkly sound and aesthetics of commercialism and excess, Charli has managed to transform pop and cultivate a specific subculture around her artistry while still maintaining a grip on mainstream audiences. She’s simultaneously a household name and a beloved figure in niche hyperpop scenes. From pop fan to pop star, she’s evolved from Myspace demos to internet icon.
