Album Review: "Music, Fashion, Film" - Charli XCX
- Jazz Williams
- Jul 30
- 3 min read
After receiving universal acclaim for her Wuthering Heights sountrack album, Charli XCX is back at it again with her highly anticipated eighth studio album: Music, Fashion, Film.
Rock Music
SS26
Card Declined
Camera
2007
I'm Afraid
Yeah
Wink Wink
Persona
Magic Metal Montana
No One Lasts Forever
I Keep Thinking Bout You Every Single Day and Night
Playboy Bunny
If You Take Away The Music Then What Has She Got?
Charli XCX is a singer and songwriter hailing from Cambridge, England. Her mainstream music career began in 2013 with her debut album, True Romance. She is most well known for igniting an unforgettable cultural moment called brat summer in 2024 due to her critically acclaimed album, Brat. Outside of her own music, she has written hits for many other pop stars including Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes, and Katseye. While she’s well known for music, she is also an actress. She’s landed roles in several movies these past two years like Eupcja and Faces of Death. Whether it’s music or film, she’s consistently creating and producing. This album is no different…
The album begins with Rock Music, the hyperpop lead single, and SS26 which was inspired by the rock genre. Then, she rips through some of the album’s most instrument-heavy and experimental songs with the indie rock Card Declined and bass-heavy 2007 being the most notable. As we make our way towards the end of the album, Wink Wink and Magic Metal Montana stand out the most with the former being a humorous pop rock song with pop punk tendencies and the latter being a post-rock platonic love letter to one of the producers. She delivers a haunting finish with No One Lasts Forever which features a closing speech from David Cronenberg, one of the pioneers of the body horror film genre, that ends with him repeatedly telling us “They are dead, they are gone, no one lasts forever.” I Keep On Thinking Bout You Every Single Day and Night, Playboy Bunny, and If You Take Away The Music Then What Has She Got? are B-sides not currently available on streaming, but you can find them on Youtube and iTunes.
Music, Fashion, Film is a pop album with elements of electronic and rock. First things first, I love that her accent doesn’t disappear making her voice distinguishable from other artists. This is one of the things that draws me to her music in the first place. Back to the album at hand… The way the production blends pop, electronic, and rock together makes each genre feel equally represented without ever overpowering each other. She discusses various themes including fame, cancel culture, personal insecurities, and death. It’s consistently fun and depressing making for an overall unique listening experience. My favorites are Card Declined, Camera, I’m Afraid, Wink Wink, and No One Lasts Forever. Out of the B-Sides, I like Playboy Bunny the best and I really respect that she released b-sides in the first place as those don’t seem to be as prevalent today. I became a fan of hers during brat summer because the music was fun and lyrically honest at the same time. I have a lot of respect for her output, unique style, and edginess she brings to the table. Rock/rock-adjacent music sounds good on her and I would love to see more mainstream artists lean in that direction. I’m bummed she’s not coming to Texas at all this year so I’ll have to wait until next time. To those of you are able to go to this tour, have fun for the both of us!
Written By Jazz
*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.
