Charli XCX

Biography

Charlotte Emma Aitchison ( AYTCH-ih-sən; born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is a British singer, songwriter, and actress. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010, Charli XCX released a series of singles and mixtapes in the early 2010s. In 2012, she co-wrote and was featured on Icona Pop's "I Love It×I Love It9 May 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Love It2:35", which became her first number-one song in the UK and received global success, but her debut album, True Romance×True Romance12 April 2013 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 13 tracksA1Nuclear Seasons4:39A2You (Ha Ha Ha)3:08A3Take My Hand4:26A4Stay Away3:48A5Set Me Free (Feel My Pain)A6Grins3:53B1So Far Away3:21B2Cloud Aura2:44B3What I Like3:02B4Black Roses3:28B5You're the One3:15B6How Can I3:55B7Lock You Up3:31 (2013), failed to meet commercial expectations.
In 2014, Charli XCX was featured on Iggy Azalea's single "Fancy×Fancy3 March 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fancy3:19", which became her most streamed song and one of the year's best-selling singles worldwide. The same year, she released "Boom Clap×Boom Clap16 April 2014 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Boom Clap2:49", which became her first solo top-ten single in the US. Her second album, Sucker×SUCKER15 December 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Sucker2:442Break the Rules3:243London Queen2:514Breaking Up2:185Gold Coins3:026Boom Clap2:507Doing It3:498Body of My Own2:459Famous3:5210Hanging Around3:1811Die Tonight2:5112Caught in the Middle3:0213Need Ur Luv3:4914Money (That’s What I Want)2:0615Break the Rules (Femme remix)3:55 (2014), spawned the singles "Break the Rules×Break the Rules26 August 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Break the Rules3:23" and "Doing It" featuring Rita Ora. She began working alongside producers associated with the UK collective PC Music in 2015, developing a more experimental sound and image. She released the EP Vroom Vroom×Vroom Vroom26 February 2016 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Vroom Vroom3:13A2Paradise3:01B1Trophy2:39B2Secret (Shh)3:25 in 2016 and the mixtapes Number 1 Angel×Number 1 Angel10 March 2017 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Dreamer3:5923AM (Pull Up)4:003Blame It on U3:474Roll With Me3:225Emotional3:546Ily23:177White Roses3:338Babygirl3:549Drugs3:4910Lipgloss3:55 and Pop 2×Pop 215 December 2017 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Backseat3:582Out of My Head3:563Lucky3:364Tears4:145I Got It3:526Femmebot3:387Delicious4:338Unlock It3:539Porsche3:2710Track 105:27 in 2017. Her third album, Charli×Charli13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Next Level Charli2:392Gone4:063Cross You Out3:28419993:095Click3:536Warm3:457Thoughts3:118Blame It on Your Love3:129White Mercedes3:2310Silver Cross3:2811I Don’t Wanna Know3:0512Official3:0513Shake It4:3514February 20172:331520993:27 (2019), produced the hit single "1999" with Troye Sivan. Her fourth album, How I'm Feeling Now (2020), was made during the COVID-19 lockdowns and received critical acclaim.
Charli XCX's fifth studio album, Crash×CRASH18 March 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Crash2:102New Shapes3:203Good Ones2:164Constant Repeat3:095Beg for You2:486Move Me2:277Baby2:398Lightning3:579Every Rule3:0310Yuck2:1811Used to Know Me2:2812Twice3:14 (2022), became her first number-one album in the UK and Australia. She contributed the UK top-ten single "Speed Drive×Speed Drive29 June 2023 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Speed Drive1:58" as part of the soundtrack for the 2023 film Barbie. Her sixth album, Brat (2024), became her second UK number-one album and was named the best album of 2024 by various publications, such as Billboard and Rolling Stone. The album spawned the UK top-ten hit "Apple×Apple11 October 2024 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Apple2:37" and the remix album brought her second number-one song, "Guess" featuring Billie Eilish. Brat and its songs won three Grammy Awards: Best Dance Pop Recording for "Von Dutch×Von dutch29 February 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksA1Von dutch2:44A2The von dutch remix2:37B??????3:40", Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Best Recording Package. The album sparked a cultural phenomenon dubbed Brat Summer, which served as an inspiration for Aidan Zamiri's film The Moment (2026) that she co-produced and starred in. During this period, Charli XCX also began appearing in independent cinema, securing acting roles in the 2025 films Erupcja, Sacrifice, and 100 Nights of Hero, as well as the 2026 films I Want Your Sex and Faces of Death. Her seventh and eighth albums Wuthering Heights×Wuthering Heights13 February 2026 · Album · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1House3:152Wall of Sound2:243Dying for You3:034Always Everywhere3:045Chains of Love2:506Out of Myself2:207Open up1:278Seeing Things2:309Altars2:5710Eyes of the World3:4411My Reminder3:3312Funny Mouth3:34 and Music, Fashion, Film×Music, Fashion, Film24 July 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Rock Music1:552SS262:483Card Declined3:284Camera2:31520072:046I’m Afraid2:117Yeah2:178Wink Wink2:039Persona2:3710Magic Metal Montana2:3111No One Lasts Forever5:43 were released in 2026; the former also served as the soundtrack to the film of the same name.
In addition to her solo work, Charli XCX has co-written songs for other artists, including Iggy Azalea's "Beg for It" (2014), Selena Gomez's "Same Old Love" (2015), Will.i.am's "Boys & Girls" (2016), Blondie's "Tonight" (2017), Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello's "Señorita" (2019), Sigala and Rita Ora's "You for Me" (2021), and Katseye's "Gabriela" (2025). She was awarded the ASCAP Global Impact Award in 2024 and featured on the 2024 Gold House's most impactful Asian A100 list, making her the first woman of British Indian origin to be honoured.

Early life

Charlotte Emma Aitchison was born in Cambridge, England, on 2 August 1992, the only child of nurse and flight attendant Shameera and entrepreneur and talent agent Jon Aitchison. Her mother was born into a Muslim family of Gujarati Indian descent in Uganda and moved to England after they were expelled by the Idi Amin regime. Her father is Scottish. She grew up in Start Hill, Essex, and spent weekends with her maternal grandparents in Crawley, West Sussex. She attended Bishop's Stortford College in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire. She briefly lived with a friend in Joensuu, Finland, describing it as a "frightening experience". She has spoken extensively about her difficulties at school growing up, stating that she was a "half-Indian girl with frizzy hair" among predominantly white people and that she was bullied and discriminated against for her Indian heritage.
She demonstrated an affinity for music from an early age, being interested in acts such as the Spice Girls and Britney Spears, and began writing songs at the age of 14. She took her stage name "Charli XCX" from her MSN Messenger screen name as she could not think of anything else and did not have a manager at the time. She told the Grammy Awards that she would stick with it and "not pull a Prince" (in reference to the singer changing his name to a symbol).

2008–2011: Career beginnings

At 14, Aitchison persuaded her parents to grant her a loan to record her first album, 14, and in early 2008 she began posting songs from the album, as well as numerous other demos, on her official Myspace page. This caught the attention of a promoter running numerous illegal warehouse raves and parties in East London, who invited her to perform at them. She was billed on flyers under the stage name Charli XCX; "XCX" (or "kiss Charli kiss") which was her MSN Messenger display name when she was younger. Despite the illicit nature of the gigs, her parents were supportive of her career and attended several raves with her. In late 2008, while 14 was never commercially released, she released the two singles "!Franchesckaar!×!Franchesckaar!18 August 2008 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1!Franchesckaar!3:282!Franchesckaar! (Tapedeck remix)3:273!Franchesckaar! (Lil'd Luck Boy remix)5:294!Franchesckaar! (Mr Black's Respect, The Beat remix)5:585!Franchesckaar! (Mr Black's Funky electro remix)7:01" and double A-side "Emelline"/"Art Bitch" under Orgy Music. She has since frequently expressed her distaste for her music of the time, going as far to call it "gimmicky dance tracks" and "fucking terrible Myspace music". At the age of 18, Charli XCX moved to London to study for a fine art degree at UCL's Slade School of Fine Art but dropped out in her second year.

In 2010, Charli XCX was signed to Asylum Records. She later described herself as being "lost". In an interview with The Guardian, Charli XCX said, "I was still in school. I'd just come out of this weird rave scene, and I wasn't really sure what to make of that. And, when I got signed, I hated pop music; I wanted to make bad rap music. I didn't know who I was. I didn't know what I liked. Even though I was signed, I was still figuring it out." She eventually flew to Los Angeles to meet producers and found it "wasn't working out for me" until she met with American producer Ariel Rechtshaid. They had a two-hour session and wrote the song "Stay Away×Stay Away2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 5 tracks1Stay Away3:512Stay Away (T.Williams remix)5:203Stay Away (Salem's Angel remix)5:034Jungle (Phaeleh remix)5:145Stay Away (T.Williams dub)5:16". She stated that was "when things started to come together". Early in 2011, she was featured on the Alex Metric single "End of the World×End of the World26 August 2011 · Single · RemixSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 7 tracks1End of the World4:292Raveaggedon5:013End of the World (Russ Chimes remix)6:284End of the World (Russ Chimes dub)6:285End of the World (TWR72 remix)6:346End of the World (TWR72 dub)6:347End of the World (Xilent remix)5:38". She left during the second year of her degree course at the Slade School of Fine Art to focus on her music career. In May and November 2011, she released the singles "Stay Away" and "Nuclear Seasons×Nuclear Seasons20 November 2011 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1Nuclear Seasons3:442Nuclear Seasons (Night Plane remix)7:51" respectively, and gained attention from music website Pitchfork, where she earned "Best New Track" accolades for both; the former was eventually named to the site's "Best Tracks of 2011" list.

2012–2015: Breakthrough with True Romance and Sucker

In addition to Rechtshaid, she began working with Swedish producer Patrik Berger. He sent her two beats, and she quickly wrote songs for each, one of which became "I Love It×I Love It9 May 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Love It2:35" and the other of which became "You're the One". She stated she did not end up releasing "I Love It" herself as she could not reconcile it with her sound, but in 2012, Swedish duo Icona Pop re-recorded the song and released it as a single featuring her vocals. The song became an international hit, hitting number one in Charli XCX's home country and climbing to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2013. In June, she released "You're the One" as a single from her EP of the same name, followed by her debut mixtape Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs, including a cover of the Blood Orange song "Champagne Coast" and Odd Future's remix of "You're the One". On Halloween, she released a new song called "Cloud Aura" featuring Brooke Candy, followed by her second mixtape Super Ultra×Super Ultra7 November 2012 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 8 tracks1Cloud Aura2:432Moments in Love1:393Velvet Dreaming (Luv)3:354Dance 4 U3:445Glow2:546Heatwave2:127Cold Nites (remix)3:358Forgiveness3:34, released exclusively through her website in November. In early 2013, she released "You (Ha Ha Ha)×You (Ha Ha Ha)8 February 2013 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 6 tracks1You (Ha Ha Ha)3:062You (Ha Ha Ha) (instrumental)3:063You (Ha Ha Ha) (BURNS’ Violet Cloud version)5:044You (Ha Ha Ha) (Goldroom remix)6:455You (Ha Ha Ha) (Melé remix)3:596You (Ha Ha Ha) (MS MR remix)3:46" and announced her debut album, followed by "What I Like×What I Like15 April 2013 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracks1What I Like (Danny Brown remix)3:522What I Like (Bohdi remix)4:383What I Like (Blood Diamond remix)4:174What I Like (Com Truise remix)3:00" in March. True Romance was released on 12 April 2013. It peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart, at number five on the US Billboard Top Heatseekers, and at number 11 on the Australian Hitseekers Albums Chart. The album was received well by music critics, earning a 76/100 on Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream critics, indicating the album's "generally favorable reviews". In May, she released "Just Desserts×Just Desserts1 May 2013 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Just Desserts3:44", a song with Welsh singer-songwriter Marina and the Diamonds.
Charli XCX began writing her second album in mid-2013, saying she initially wanted to go to India to record, but later decided she wanted to record in France, she said: "Two months ago, I wanted to go to India and record it, and now I want to record it in France. So I feel like nothing is definite – like, I feel very all-over-the-place at the moment. But at the moment, my heart's set on going to France and recording it, but that was different two months ago, so who knows what's going to happen?" Frustrated with the music industry, she ended up going to Sweden, isolating herself from her record label, and made a punk-inspired album over a month. Charli XCX worked on the album with Patrik Berger; of their process, she later reflected that it was "not thought-about, everything really spontaneous [...] We don't think – it's like the first thing that comes out of my mouth is the cut on the record." Their initial work, however, was eventually scrapped for a more "pop-oriented" album. The album included a song called "Mow That Lawn", which was debuted live a year later at Ilosaarirock Festival in Finland.

In late 2013, "SuperLove×SuperLove6 December 2013 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1SuperLove3:13" was released as the lead single from the album and reached number 62 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming Charli×Charli13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Next Level Charli2:392Gone4:063Cross You Out3:28419993:095Click3:536Warm3:457Thoughts3:118Blame It on Your Love3:129White Mercedes3:2310Silver Cross3:2811I Don’t Wanna Know3:0512Official3:0513Shake It4:3514February 20172:331520993:27 XCX's first solo entry on the chart. In January 2014, she released a song called "Allergic to Love" on her SoundCloud. While writing the album, she did further sessions with Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, Rostam Batmanglij from Vampire Weekend, production duo Stargate, John Hill and a session with Dr. Luke which she said "wasn't for me". In an interview with DIY magazine, she stated that she wrote the record for girls and wants them to feel "a sense of empowerment". Charli XCX explained in her tour diary with Replay Laserblast that the record's genre is still pop but has a very shouty, girl-power, girl-gang, Bow Wow Wow feel to it at the same time. "SuperLove" was eventually scrapped from the album.
In early 2014, Charli XCX was featured on Australian rapper Iggy Azalea's single "Fancy×Fancy3 March 2014 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Fancy3:19"; the track topped the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming both artists' first number-one single on the chart. Charli XCX expanded her portfolio of songwriting for other artists during this period, with credits on Azalea's 2014 single "Beg for It", Ryn Weaver's debut single "OctaHate", and material for acts including Sky Ferreira, Neon Jungle, Rihanna, and Gwen Stefani. In mid-2014, Charli XCX contributed the song "Boom Clap×Boom Clap16 April 2014 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Boom Clap2:49" to the soundtrack of the film The Fault in Our Stars. "Boom Clap" peaked at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number six in the UK and was certified platinum in Australia. In August, a release date of October was announced for her new album Sucker×SUCKER15 December 2014 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Sucker2:442Break the Rules3:243London Queen2:514Breaking Up2:185Gold Coins3:026Boom Clap2:507Doing It3:498Body of My Own2:459Famous3:5210Hanging Around3:1811Die Tonight2:5112Caught in the Middle3:0213Need Ur Luv3:4914Money (That’s What I Want)2:0615Break the Rules (Femme remix)3:55, along with the lead single "Break the Rules×Break the Rules26 August 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Break the Rules3:23". She said the song came about after she had made her punk album in Sweden, when she "came out of the other side of that punk phase and translated it into something more pop". She stated that the album was "obviously [...] about not giving a fuck". The album was pushed back the next month due to the success of "Boom Clap" and was officially released in December 2014. It debuted at number 28 on the US Billboard 200, making it Charli XCX's first album to enter the chart and number 15 on the UK Albums Chart. The album's third single, "Doing It" featuring fellow British singer Rita Ora, was released in February and peaked at number 8 on the UK Singles Chart.
Charli XCX considers herself a feminist and wrote one of the songs on Sucker, "Body of My Own", as a feminist statement. She appeared in the documentary about gender equality The F Word and Me, which premiered on BBC Three in 2015. Charli XCX opened for Katy Perry on the European leg of Perry's Prismatic World Tour in early 2015, headlined her own UK tour, and featured alongside R&B artist Tinashe on fellow singer Ty Dolla Sign's single "Drop That Kitty×Drop That Kitty17 February 2015 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Drop That Kitty3:37". A music video for the single "Famous×Famous10 May 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Famous (radio edit)3:34" was released on 23 March 2015. and was ranked by Time and Pitchfork as the 5th and 19th best pop music video of the year, respectively. In July and August 2015, Charli XCX co-headlined Charli and Jack do America Tour, a US tour with Bleachers. She announced on 21 August that, for "personal reasons", a planned second leg of the tour would not go ahead.

2015–2018: Vroom Vroom, Number 1 Angel, and Pop 2

In a July 2015 interview, Charli XCX said that she was working on her third album and described it as "the most pop thing, and the most electronic thing" she had ever done. In October 2015, she premiered the new song "Vroom Vroom×Vroom Vroom26 February 2016 · EPSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 4 tracksA1Vroom Vroom3:13A2Paradise3:01B1Trophy2:39B2Secret (Shh)3:25" on the Beats 1 radio show, claiming it would be the first song released from what would be her next studio album. On 23 February 2016, it was announced that she had set up an experimental pop record label, Vroom Vroom Recordings, and that she would release an EP entitled Vroom Vroom on 26 February 2016. The title song was officially released that day. The second song released from the EP, entitled "Trophy", received its first play on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show that night. It was also announced that she would host her own Beats 1 show titled The Candy Shop. Vroom Vroom was mainly produced by Sophie as a teaser for her album. The avant-pop EP marked a sharp shift in tone from her previous album and was released to divided reviews.

In July 2016, it was announced that British producer A. G. Cook, founder of record label PC Music, had signed on as Charli XCX's creative director. On 28 October, the lead single from her third album, "After the Afterparty×After the Afterparty28 October 2016 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1After the Afterparty3:39", was released. It charted at 29 in the UK Singles Chart and was certified gold by the BPI. On 8 February 2017, she performed it on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, along with a new song titled "Bounce" featuring Kyary Pamyu Pamyu. On 10 March 2017, Charli XCX released the mixtape, Number 1 Angel×Number 1 Angel10 March 2017 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Dreamer3:5923AM (Pull Up)4:003Blame It on U3:474Roll With Me3:225Emotional3:546Ily23:177White Roses3:338Babygirl3:549Drugs3:4910Lipgloss3:55, which featured an all-female line-up of guest artists including MØ, Raye, Starrah, Uffie, Abra, and Cupcakke and was produced largely by PC Music artists including A. G. Cook, EasyFun, and Sophie.
On 17 March 2017, Mura Masa released his single "1 Night×1 Night17 March 2017 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track11 Night3:27", which featured vocals from Charli XCX. On 26 July 2017, Charli XCX released "Boys", along with a self-directed music video featuring an ensemble cast of male celebrities, including Joe Jonas and Brendon Urie, among others. On 6 August, Charli XCX performed at the Lollapalooza music festival. In 2017, the majority of Charli XCX's third studio album was leaked with the remainder of the tracks leaking the following year. The leak of the album featuring the then-lead single "After the Afterparty" led to the cancellation of the album release and Charli×Charli13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Next Level Charli2:392Gone4:063Cross You Out3:28419993:095Click3:536Warm3:457Thoughts3:118Blame It on Your Love3:129White Mercedes3:2310Silver Cross3:2811I Don’t Wanna Know3:0512Official3:0513Shake It4:3514February 20172:331520993:27 XCX deciding to make an entirely new third studio album.
The Number 1 Angel follow-up mixtape, Pop 2×Pop 215 December 2017 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Backseat3:582Out of My Head3:563Lucky3:364Tears4:145I Got It3:526Femmebot3:387Delicious4:338Unlock It3:539Porsche3:2710Track 105:27, was released on 15 December 2017, featuring collaborations with Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, Alma, Caroline Polachek, Brooke Candy, Cupcakke, Pabllo Vittar, Dorian Electra, Mykki Blanco, Tommy Cash, Kim Petras, Jay Park and MØ. On 15 March 2018, Charli XCX performed at El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles in support of Pop 2. In May 2018, Charli XCX started performing on Taylor Swift's Reputation Stadium Tour as an opening act alongside Camila Cabello. On 31 May, the day of the first concert on Swift's tour, she released "5 in the Morning×5 in the Morning31 May 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track15 in the Morning2:50". On 29 June, she released "Focus" and "No Angel" as a double single. On 27 July, she released the single "Girls Night Out×Girls Night Out26 July 2018 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Girls Night Out3:40", which had previously been performed live and leaked in 2017.

2018–2023: Charli, How I'm Feeling Now and Crash

On 5 October 2018, Charli XCX released the single "1999" with South African–Australian artist Troye Sivan, as the lead single from her third album Charli×Charli13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Next Level Charli2:392Gone4:063Cross You Out3:28419993:095Click3:536Warm3:457Thoughts3:118Blame It on Your Love3:129White Mercedes3:2310Silver Cross3:2811I Don’t Wanna Know3:0512Official3:0513Shake It4:3514February 20172:331520993:27. The single reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and became Charli XCX's tenth Top 40 single and also her first Top 15 single since 2015. The music video for "1999" was released on 11 October and starred Charli XCX and Sivan, featuring various references to 1990s pop culture. Charli XCX was featured on MØ's album Forever×forever9 April 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1forever4:03 Neverland with the song "If It's Over".

On 16 May 2019, Charli XCX released the second single from Charli, "Blame It on Your Love×Blame It on Your Love25 April 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Blame It on Your Love3:11", featuring American singer and rapper Lizzo. The track was written in Los Angeles and produced by long standing collaborators Stargate with additional production by A. G. Cook and EasyFun. Elements from "Blame It on Your Love" were taken from a previous release, "Track 10", from her 2017 mixtape Pop 2×Pop 215 December 2017 · Studio album · Mixtape/StreetSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 10 tracks1Backseat3:582Out of My Head3:563Lucky3:364Tears4:145I Got It3:526Femmebot3:387Delicious4:338Unlock It3:539Porsche3:2710Track 105:27. On 25 May, Charli XCX pulled out of BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, with Chase & Status replacing her. On 30 May, she performed a new song from Charli with Christine and the Queens titled "Gone" at Primavera Sound in Barcelona. On 30 May, Charli XCX collaborated with Diplo and Herve Pagez on the song "Spicy". On 7 June, Charli XCX released a collaboration track titled "Dream Glow" with Jin, Jimin and Jungkook of the South Korean boy band BTS for the soundtrack to their Netmarble game, BTS World. On 17 July, "Gone" was released as the third single from the album. The first promotional single, "Cross You Out×Cross You Out16 August 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Cross You Out3:28" featuring Sky Ferreira, was released on 16 August, followed by the second to fourth promotional singles: "Warm" featuring Haim, on 30 August; "February 2017×February 20175 September 2019 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1February 20172:33" featuring Clairo and Yaeji, on 6 September; and "2099" featuring Troye Sivan, on 10 September. The album was released on 13 September by Asylum and Atlantic Records.On 13 January 2020, Charli XCX was featured on the Galantis song "We Are Born to Play", which was used as the theme song for the Japanese theme park Super Nintendo World. The following month, she was featured on 100 Gecs's single "Ringtone" with Kero Kero Bonito and Rico Nasty. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Charli XCX announced a new album, titled How I'm Feeling Now in April 2020. She subsequently released the singles "Forever", "Claws×claws23 April 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1claws2:29" and "I Finally Understand×i finally understand7 May 2020 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1i finally understand2:32". How I'm Feeling Now was released on 15 May 2020. The album was written and recorded in the span of six weeks during the COVID-19 lockdowns. She used her platform on Instagram to communicate with fans while making the album, posting different variations of lyrics, single covers and sound samples that could be voted on, the most popular being the one she released officially. In reviews, Kitty Empire of The Guardian described it as "truly a work of its time". Charli XCX's first post-pandemic performance was at Wynwood Pride in Miami in June 2021. Early in February 2021, the Dirty Hit signed musician No Rome announced he was working on a track featuring Charli XCX along with label mates The 1975.
On 19 February, she featured on a new version of a track called "Charger×CHARGER19 February 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1CHARGER2:27" by the Welsh-Canadian artist Elio. In a TikTok posted on 16 March, she revealed that she is working on her next studio album, saying she was "feeling very inspired". Her next album would be her final record with Atlantic Records. On 28 April, Charli XCX was featured on a remix of the song "Drama×Drama28 April 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Drama2:01" from the album Good Luck by Bladee and Mechatok. On 2 September, "Good Ones×Good Ones2 September 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Good Ones2:16" was released as the lead single from her upcoming album. A second single, "New Shapes×New Shapes4 November 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 2 tracks1New Shapes3:212Good Ones2:17", featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, was released on 4 November. Along with the single release, Charli XCX officially announced her fifth studio album, titled Crash×CRASH18 March 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Crash2:102New Shapes3:203Good Ones2:164Constant Repeat3:095Beg for You2:486Move Me2:277Baby2:398Lightning3:579Every Rule3:0310Yuck2:1811Used to Know Me2:2812Twice3:14, which was released on 18 March 2022. A third single, "Beg for You×Beg for You27 January 2022 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Beg for You2:48" featuring Rina Sawayama, was released 27 January.

2023–2025: Brat

In February 2023, Charli XCX revealed in an interview with British Vogue that she had signed a new recording contract for her next two albums. On 15 April, she co-headlined the Coachella Festival. She contributed to the soundtrack of three films, releasing the singles "Hot Girl", from the soundtrack to the 2022 film Bodies Bodies Bodies, and "Speed Drive×Speed Drive29 June 2023 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Speed Drive1:58", from the soundtrack to the 2023 film Barbie. "Speed Drive" entered the UK Singles Chart at number nine and the Billboard Hot 100 at number 73, her first singles to chart since "Boom Clap×Boom Clap16 April 2014 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Boom Clap2:49" and "Break the Rules×Break the Rules26 August 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Break the Rules3:23" in 2014. She also served as the score co-composer alongside Leo Birenberg for the 2023 film Bottoms. In August 2023, Charli XCX collaborated with singer Addison Rae on the song "2 Die 4" from Rae's extended play (EP) AR. The following October, she teamed up with English singer Sam Smith on the single "In the City". Smith and Devon Lee Carlson also appear in the video of "Speed Drive".

In 2024, Charli XCX played her second Boiler Room set since 2020, titled PARTYGIRL, which took place on 22 February in Brooklyn. The set received about 37,000 RSVPs, the largest number in the history of Boiler Room, and of that number, only 400 were permitted entry. The set featured guest performances from A. G. Cook, George Daniel, Doss, Easyfun, Addison Rae and Julia Fox, and songs from her upcoming album were teased.
"Von Dutch×Von dutch29 February 2024 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 3 tracksA1Von dutch2:44A2The von dutch remix2:37B??????3:40", the lead single for Charli XCX's sixth album, Brat, was released on 29 February 2024. "360" was released as the second single from the album alongside a music video on 10 May 2024. The video was described by Harper's Bazaar as "Brimming With the Internet's Favorite It Girls". The album was released on 7 June 2024. Brat quickly received universal critical acclaim; it achieved a Metacritic score of 95, the highest for any album released in 2024, thus becoming one of Metacritic's top 20 highest-rated albums of all time. Its lime-green cover art and aesthetic became a viral Internet trend and received widespread media coverage, including for its use by the Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign.
The song "Guess" was initially released as part of the deluxe edition of Brat, released on 10 June 2024, titled Brat and It's the Same but There's Three More Songs So It's Not. A remix of this song featuring Billie Eilish debuted atop the UK Singles Chart, marking Charli XCX's second number-one single after her feature on Icona Pop's "I Love It×I Love It9 May 2012 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1I Love It2:35" a decade earlier. "Apple×Apple11 October 2024 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Apple2:37" was released as a single from the album after the song went viral on TikTok. Charli XCX also served as the executive producer to the soundtracks for the film Mother Mary and the TV series Overcompensating. She co-executive-produced the former with Jack Antonoff and produced music for the latter. In 2024, she was awarded the ASCAP Global Impact Award in recognition of her contributions to pop music. She was also on 2024 Gold House's most impactful Asian A100 list, making her the first woman of British Indian origin to be honoured.
The remix album, titled Brat and It's Completely Different but Also Still Brat, was released on 11 October 2024. It features artists such as Ariana Grande, Kesha, Caroline Polachek, Tinashe, Jon Hopkins, Bon Iver, Shygirl, Bladee, Julian Casablancas, the Japanese House, Bb trickz and The 1975. It included these previously released collaborations as part of its tracklist: an A. G. Cook remix of "Von Dutch" featuring Addison Rae, "360" featuring Robyn and Yung Lean, "Girl, So Confusing" featuring Lorde, "Guess" featuring Billie Eilish and "Talk Talk×Talk talk12 September 2024 · Single · RemixSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Talk talk2:53" featuring Troye Sivan. Charli XCX was named US ambassador of cosmetics brand Valentino Beauty in October 2024 and appeared as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live on 16 November 2024. On 6 December, Financial Times named Charli XCX one of the most influential women of 2024.
After her song "Party 4 U×party 4 u15 May 2025 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 trackAparty 4 u4:56" began to resurge in popularity and streaming in early 2025 after going viral on TikTok, a music video for the track was released on 15 May 2025, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the release of How I'm Feeling Now, its parent album. On 7 June 2025, she made a surprise appearance during Air's set at Paris's We Love Green Festival, and performed "Cherry Blossom Girl" with the band. On 21 June 2025, she made another appearance as Dua Lipa's surprise guest on the 2nd night of the London dates of her Radical Optimism Tour, where they performed "360" together. On 22 October 2025, Charli XCX joined the stage at Addison Rae's debut album tour in Los Angeles.

2025–present: film projects, Wuthering Heights, and Music, Fashion, Film

On 10 November 2025, Charli XCX released the song "House" in collaboration with John Cale of the Velvet Underground. The song served as the lead single from her soundtrack album for Emerald Fennell's drama×Drama28 April 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Drama2:01 film, Wuthering Heights×Wuthering Heights13 February 2026 · Album · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1House3:152Wall of Sound2:243Dying for You3:034Always Everywhere3:045Chains of Love2:506Out of Myself2:207Open up1:278Seeing Things2:309Altars2:5710Eyes of the World3:4411My Reminder3:3312Funny Mouth3:34 (2026), based on the novel by Emily Brontë. On 13 November 2025, the album was formally announced, coinciding with the release of second single "Chains of Love×Chains of Love13 November 2025 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Chains of Love2:50" and the film's official trailer featuring the song. A music video for "Chains of Love" was released on 17 November. The third single, "Wall of Sound×Wall of Sound16 January 2026 · Single · SoundtrackSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Wall of Sound2:24", was released on 16 January.
Charli XCX produced her first film, The Moment, under the umbrella of her production company Studio365. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 23 January 2026. It was given a limited release in the United States on 30 January 2026, with a wider release on 6 February and in the United Kingdom on 20 February.
On 12 May 2026, she became the Global Brand Ambassador and a shareholder of the consumer electronics company Nothing.
On 24 July 2026, she released her eighth studio album Music, Fashion, Film×Music, Fashion, Film24 July 2026 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 11 tracks1Rock Music1:552SS262:483Card Declined3:284Camera2:31520072:046I’m Afraid2:117Yeah2:178Wink Wink2:039Persona2:3710Magic Metal Montana2:3111No One Lasts Forever5:43 via Atlantic, which received immediate critical acclaim. The album included the previously released singles "Rock Music×Rock Music8 May 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Rock Music1:55", "SS26", "Wink Wink×Wink Wink25 June 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Wink Wink2:02", and "Camera×Camera21 July 2026 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Camera2:31". An expanded edition containing the B-sides to three of the singles was released on 26 July. She announced the North American leg of her Music, Fashion, Film Tour, beginning on 11 September, and is set to conclude on 23 October, with Underscores being the opening act for each show. She later announced the European leg of the tour on 11 September, which will start on 13 February 2027, and is set to conclude on 24 February, with Audrey Hobert being the opening act.
In July 2026, it was reported that a portrait of Charli XCX representing her Brat era, photographed by Harley Weir, would be added to the National Portrait Gallery collection. She was featured on Madonna's "Danceteria Afterhours", released on 24 September 2026. On 27 September 2026, they performed it at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards.

Musical style

Music critics have characterised Charli XCX's music using a variety of terms, including electropop, dance-pop, synth-pop, alternative pop, hyperpop, pop-punk, dark wave, witch house, gothic pop, avant-pop, and experimental pop. Lyrically, her songs deal with numerous subjects, including sex, cars, hedonism, and love. Her earliest demos, including those released on Myspace, were described as "trashy techno". Subsequent releases were labelled as a blend of dark wave and witch house. Charli XCX's first album was described alternatively as gothic pop and synth-pop, while her second was described as pop punk, containing elements of punk rock, new wave and power pop. Critics marked the beginning of Charli XCX's collaborations with PC Music-signed artists as a turning point in her discography.
Releases following Sucker explored an avant-pop direction. Vroom Vroom contained elements of Eurodance, while Number 1 Angel evidenced elements of trap, R&B, electropop, synth-pop, and experimental pop. Pop 2 and Charli were noted for their numerous collaborations and maintained their predecessors' avant-pop composition as well as incorporating elements of avant-garde, Eurodance, and J-pop music. How I'm Feeling Now was described as a "club-pop", hyperpop and experimental pop album with elements of garage, trance and bubblegum pop, in which Charli×Charli13 September 2019 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 15 tracks1Next Level Charli2:392Gone4:063Cross You Out3:28419993:095Click3:536Warm3:457Thoughts3:118Blame It on Your Love3:129White Mercedes3:2310Silver Cross3:2811I Don’t Wanna Know3:0512Official3:0513Shake It4:3514February 20172:331520993:27 XCX addresses her life during COVID-19 lockdowns. Crash was dubbed a synth-pop and 1980s pop album with hints of synthwave, Eurodance, hard funk, swingbeat, bubblegum pop, Italo disco and indie pop music that was noted for its departure from Charli XCX's previous experimental pop releases. It was noted for its attempt at appealing to a more mainstream audience, and its deal-with-the-devil-centred aesthetic.
Charli XCX's "party girl" aesthetic seen in Brat has drawn similarities and comparisons to Kesha. Charli XCX's singing voice has been compared to those of Gwen Stefani and Marina Diamandis. She has been described as having an alto vocal range. Charli XCX has been described as inspired heavily by the 2010s "hyperpop" style, though she rejected the term on social media, saying she does "not identify with music genres".

Influences

Charli XCX's influences include Britney Spears, Shampoo, No Doubt, t.A.T.u., the Donnas, Bikini Kill, Martika, Björk, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Feminine Complex, Donna Summer, Bread, All Saints, Uffie, Brooke Candy, Lil Wayne, Lily Allen, Kate Bush, Twin Peaks, Paris Hilton, Justice, Crystal Castles, Calvin Harris, Daft Punk, Sebastian, Honey Dijon, Robyn, Arca, M.I.A., Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Quentin Tarantino. She has also named Rihanna as her "favorite pop girl" and hopes to write a song for her. In 2017, Charli XCX said she aspired to write songs for Katy Perry and Gwen Stefani. She has said that True Romance was based on "Martika, and also the Cure and Britney", while influences of Belinda Carlisle, Marina and the Knife were noted by critics. She cited Kanye West as an inspiration for her idiosyncratic use of Auto-Tune. She has said that "the best artists are the ones who constantly change – Madonna, Bowie" and that her "dream collaboration would be with someone like Björk, Kate Bush, or even Dionne Warwick".
Charli XCX has named Siouxsie Sioux as "my hero." She also said that she learned about performing and attracting a crowd from Taylor Swift. Charli XCX's live performances have been noted for the apparent influence of the rave scene. She frequently performs with guest stars during her live shows. Charli XCX named her collaborators A. G. Cook, Caroline Polachek, Rina Sawayama, and Sophie as inspirations for her live performances during Crash: The Live Tour.
Charli XCX has expressed her admiration for 1990s pop culture, which she prominently used as the inspiration for the video for her single "Break the Rules×Break the Rules26 August 2014 · SingleSpotify (search)YouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Break the Rules3:23", her single "1999" and its music video, and her album Crash×CRASH18 March 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Crash2:102New Shapes3:203Good Ones2:164Constant Repeat3:095Beg for You2:486Move Me2:277Baby2:398Lightning3:579Every Rule3:0310Yuck2:1811Used to Know Me2:2812Twice3:14. She has also said that to her the 1990s are epitomised by "Spice Girls and Britney". She reiterated her love for the former after the release of the single "Spicy", which interpolates the group's single "Wannabe", and called the latter her "first big pop icon", whom she desired to emulate. Charli XCX also considers Spears's album Blackout one of her favourite records, ranking the album's song "Piece of Me" as her favourite Spears song. Other musicians Charli XCX admired during her childhood include Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera, and she named Aguilera's Stripped "one of my favourite albums ever". She has also cited Avril Lavigne and the fictional characters Cher Horowitz, Wednesday Addams and Nancy Downs as inspirations for her fashion style, which she describes as "90s schoolgirl". She wore ties during her adolescence to imitate Lavigne.

Personal life

Charli XCX experiences sound-to-colour synaesthesia. She has said, "I see music in colours. I love music that's black, pink, purple or red – but I hate music that's green, yellow or brown."
In light of racist comments about her Indian heritage and skin tone being labelled as "dirty", Charli XCX expressed pride in her Indian roots on Twitter, writing, "I am extremely proud of my Indian heritage. I love my roots and my family. Don't call me/anyone 'dirty' [because] of the colour of someone's skin." In 2024 she discussed her mixed heritage in an interview with Vogue Singapore, saying: "I grew up in two half-lives, I suppose. When I would go and visit my mum's family, I felt very Indian. It was all the classic scenes of my nani and bappa cooking with Bollywood films playing in the background and everybody speaking in Gujarati ... But then I'd go home to this other world which was largely white. It was almost like I would experience the Indian part of my identity only on the weekends. I never quite felt like I fit into either world, which I think commonly happens with mixed-race kids."
Until 2022, Charli XCX was in a long-term partnership with Huck Kwong, whom she had previously dated in 2014 and been friends with since 2012. In 2022, she began publicly dating British musician George Daniel, the drummer for the alternative band the 1975. The couple met while working on the No Rome track "Spinning×Spinning4 March 2021 · SingleSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 1 track1Spinning2:53", released on 4 March 2021, and they collaborated again on her album Crash×CRASH18 March 2022 · Studio albumSpotifyYouTube Music (search)Tracklist · 12 tracks1Crash2:102New Shapes3:203Good Ones2:164Constant Repeat3:095Beg for You2:486Move Me2:277Baby2:398Lightning3:579Every Rule3:0310Yuck2:1811Used to Know Me2:2812Twice3:14, released on 18 March 2022, on the album's title track and several songs on its deluxe edition. They became engaged in November 2023. Charli XCX and Daniel married at the Hackney Town Hall on 19 July 2025. The intimate ceremony was attended by a small group of people, including Charli XCX's parents and Daniel's bandmates from the 1975; lead vocalist Matty Healy was absent due to other obligations. On 14 September 2025, the pair had a second wedding in Scopello, Sicily, attended by friends and family.
As of February 2017, Charli XCX divides her time between London and Los Angeles.
In a 2019 interview with Glamour, Charli XCX said she is "not religious at all".
In February 2026, during an interview on the podcast SmartLess, Charli XCX said that she does not really want to have children. One of the hosts, Jason Bateman, was criticised for questioning her decision.
In June 2026, Charli XCX said that she "recently [has] been really struggling with [her] mental health", and that she is "in the worst place mentally that [she's] been in [her] life."