CRASH — Home — What’s Cool?

Charli XCX has long been referred to as “the pop star of the future,” with production that often sounds like it’s from the next century. From Pop 2 onward to Charli and how i’m feeling now, Charli XCX’s sound hasn’t changed as much as it has evolved and matured, exploring new sonic and lyrical ideas and concepts that only she can achieve every time. The overcrowded, radio-friendly pop genre makes it hard for many artists to stand out, but Charli XCX has once again resisted certain tropes to create yet another captivating record that will likely pull the industry forward with her latest album CRASH.

Many of the album’s themes that recur throughout such as power, self-destruction, and sex are addressed in the opening title track “Crash”. This song utilizes both hyper-pop sounds and traditional instrumental backing, as seen in the track’s closing guitar solo that sets the tone for what’s to come next. “New Shapes (feat. Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek)” follows, and as one of the most popular singles attached to this album, functions well when placed early on in the tracklisting. Both features meaningfully contribute to the aesthetic of the song, which is something that Charli has historically done well making sure of. “Good Ones” has a short runtime of just over two minutes, but the uptempo instrumental and synth-heavy chorus have kept it stuck in my head since its release. “Constant Repeat” has been well-known in Charli’s fandom for a while now as there have been multiple snippets released in the past, and this electro-pop moment helps Charli explore the emotional side of the project.

“Beg For You (feat. Rina Sawayama)” is next, and while I enjoy this track overall, I find that it could’ve benefitted from more compelling lyricism to leave a lasting impact. That being said, Sawayama’s feature is welcomed with open arms, as I see her becoming a big star in the near future. “Move Me” is a melancholic, moody, and reflective halfway point through the tracklisting that doesn’t do much to entice me. Relatively inoffensive, this song just doesn’t seem to earn its placement among its stronger peers. “Baby” is one of those stronger tracks found here, as Charli channels hyper-sexual and female empowerment energy to its benefit.

“Lightning” leaves me wanting just a little bit more complexity like “Move Me” did, but its vocoded chorus was a fantastic studio touch that proves Charli’s technical production is some of the best in the industry. “Every Rule” is a heartbroken ballad that was actually one of the earliest songs written for this project, even before how i’m feeling now’s release. Charli’s lyricism here is as strong as it has been over the course of her past few releases. This tone is immediately flipped on its head with “Yuck”, the charming, love-denying song that I can easily see becoming a radio hit this summer. Charli’s oldest fans will be extremely delighted to hear “Used To Know Me”, which has a club aesthetic that defined her early career but that is still very sonically appealing - this is the biggest bop on the album. “Twice” ends things off on another high note, as Charli reframes the tragedies in her life and decides to instead focus on what she has to appreciate, which is something we should all strive for in a world as crazy as ours.

Charli XCX’s final album on her label Atlantic Records has allowed her to fully embody her hyperpop aesthetic while, this time, catering more to a mainstream audience through the project’s cohesive and widespread rollout. CRASH proves that Charli’s two most recent projects weren’t anomalies, but that she really does have what it takes to live up to the “popstar of the future” reputation that she deservingly acquired early in her career. While not a perfect album, CRASH will still be on repeat for me for a while, and it has earned all of the praise it receives.

Favorite tracks: “Crash”, “New Shapes (feat. Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek)”, “Good Ones”, “Constant Repeat”, “Beg For You (feat. Rina Sawayama)”, “Baby”, “Every Rule”, “Yuck”, “Used To Know Me”

SCORE: 7/10