I think the dancefloor is dead
So now we're making rock music
(from “Rock Music”)
Let's start with the prologue. Archived the Brat-Summera phenomenal musical and marketing operation that marked the entry of Charli A soundtrack for which he chose to turn off all the fluorescent green lights to present himself as modern and introspective songwriter. A few weeks later and here she is already ready to announce the imminent release of a new album, strongly characterized, with which she intends to present a new version of herself, presented as her “rock album”. A choice underlined by a provocation regarding the alleged difficulties facing the world of dance musica provocation to which Madonna so promptly retorted: “If your dance floor seems dead, maybe you're playing the wrong music.” It was a fake dissingartfully constructed to gain the attention of the front pages: the two artists actually found themselves at the end of June dancing and hugging each other during theafter-party of a Parisian YSL fashion show, in fact a pre-launch for “Confessions II”, the new work by Mrs. Ciccone, one of those who dancefloor if you know…
We're walking on a runaway
That goes straight to hell
Nothing's gonna save us not
Music, fashion or film
(from “SS26”)
After four singles released in the previous weeks, at the end of July 2026 here is the long-awaited “Music, Fashion, Film”, eleven tracks compressed into just half an hour. The title lists three pillars of contemporary pop aesthetics which simultaneously summarize Charli XCX's recent artistic journey. Let's analyze them briefly. Music: the natural habitat of the English singer, world champion of hyperpop and club musicnow reinforced by the introduction of treated guitars into the sound mix, an operation studied by the two producer trusted, AG Cook and Finn Keane, skilled in shaping and perfecting a sound already present in the circuit (just think of the work of Slayyyter, that of Jane Remover and many projects in the hyperpop area) but which has now found the right propulsion – and the perfect spokesperson – to become a reference standard in the coming months. Fashion: Charli XCX's strong bond with the world of fashion, fashion shows, aesthetics it girlthe references indie sleaze. Movies: his recent projects related to cinema, including soundtracks and acting. To represent the three words of the title, three cult artists have been immortalized forever in the black and white of the image chosen for the cover: the musician John Cale, the stylist Marc Jacobs, the director Martin Scorsese. The most iconic cover of the year.
I'm a wife, I'm a kid
I'm destroyed, I'm a bitch
I'm too drunk, I can't sleep
I can't feel anything
(from “I'm Afraid”)
If you listen carefully, the “guitar” sound that characterizes the aesthetics of the new Charli XCX turns out to be as contemporary as the verses of trap, the drops of tech-house or the introspections of indie-folk. The tracks are fast, short, capable of impersonating a renewed “punk spirit”, and even if the hard and pure of “real rock” will inevitably turn up their noses, “Music, Fashion, Film” is certainly not without surprising solutions (we are still talking about a pop project). The sound of the guitar is firmly at the center of the scene (even more than in Olivia Rodrigo's records), introduced right from the first two effective songs, “Rock Music” and “SS26” (an acronym for Spring – Summer 2026), which immediately convey the message of the album: the superficiality present in the art world and the need to free oneself from the most futile and dangerous attitudes. Almost a desire to warn each person involved, after having removed themselves from potentially harmful situations. Ironic stories about compulsive shopping alternate with vivid snapshots of real life, about how comfortable one feels only in front of a camera on or with yet another glass in one's hand. While the energy emitted by these songs full of urgency manages to free itself with difficulty from a persistent, thin veil of melancholy.
I used to jump on trampolines with no underwear on
And now I basically just wear trousers…
I'm not a bad girl anymore
(from “Wink Wink”)
The musical references are countless: the first part of “Card Declined” could be a demo of the first PJ Harvey, “Wink Wink” recalls the light-hearted approach of the young Avril Lavigne, while the exuberant evolutions of “Camera” dissolve into the grungy existential malaise of “I'm Afraid”. But the piece that takes on the central role in the album's economy is “Yeah”, a compelling hybrid that alternates a verse capable of condensing the Blur of “Song 2” and the femininity riot by Hole with a chorus that seems to have been taken directly from an Avicii hit. Alternative rock and electro liveliness: a liberating explosion that we are curious to see translated into the next ones show: Will there be a real band on stage to support her, or will Charli XCX appear again accompanied only by pre-recorded backing tracks? After the sincere declaration of affection and gratitude for his friend AG Cook (in “Magic Metal Montana”), the album ends with the proclamation “No One Lasts Forever”, containing a monologue by David Cronenberg, 83 years old, famous Canadian director, screenwriter and actor. “No one lasts forever”: the transience of human existence that leads to claiming the right – and the necessity – for one's own continuous transformation. And when you have metabolized the new Charli XCX, she will already be elsewhere, towards the next step, towards the next goal. Because art is never reassurance but a continuous challenge, indeed everything towards oneself.
We can talk about immortal artists of various kinds
Have created art that has really survived thousands of years
And that's fantastic
But experientially, for them
They are dead, they are gone
(from “No One Lasts Forever”)
07/28/2026
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
