how i'm feeling now — Home

After the release of her 2019 magnum opus Charli, futurist pop-star Charli XCX earned herself much-deserved time away from creating and releasing music if she needed to step away. Instead, amidst what has been an unprecedented and challenging year in many regards, Charli XCX continued to spoil her fans by writing, recording, and producing a new full-length album in its entirety while in quarantine. While this album isn’t as influential or polished as Charli, how i’m feeling now encapsulates and reflects this year’s pandemic quarantine perfectly.

Experimentation tends to pique my interest when listening to new music, which is in large part why Charli XCX’s 2019 album was one of my favorites of the year. Simply put, her music sounds like it is coming from the future, and it is very possible that music to come will be influenced by what she’s doing now. how i’m feeling now continues this trend from track to track, pairing genuine and compelling lyrics with aggressive, highly condensed production which communicates a sort of cabin fever words just can’t convey. The heavy and industrial production contrasts with Charli’s robotic but loving vocals. The themes and topics covered aren’t nearly as abrasive as the sometimes punching bass and synth leads which Charli employs masterfully.

The themes of love and devotion used throughout this album are catchy and sweet, but are sometimes challenged by tracks which portray her in a different light, such as “detonate”. By expressing the wide range of emotions and personality traits which her relationships bring out of her, Charli’s lyricism becomes instantly more compelling and relatable than what would’ve come out of songs conveying perfect love stories. Self-reflection is common in times of isolation, which I’m glad this album acknowledges and accepts.

Charli’s honesty and genuineness are what make me such a fan of her recent music. The stellar production doesn’t hurt, either. While this album isn’t as perfect as it likely could’ve been given more time in an environment more conducive for music production, it captures a lot of the emotions which these dark times have shown us. Not every track is compelling, but the majority of the songs on this project are inventive, impressive, and hopeful. Definitely give this album a listen. Thanks for reading.

Favorite tracks: “pink diamond”, “forever”, “claws”, “detonate”, “c2.0”, “party 4 u”, “visions”

SCORE: 8/10