After the popularity of her 2024 album, “BRAT,” Charli xcx certainly had a tough act to follow. With “Music, Fashion, Film,” she strays from her typical club-girl persona to share a softer, more intimate side of her life.
Released July 24, the singer-songwriter’s eighth studio album serves as a meditation on the anxieties experienced by those in the entertainment industry. In the past few years, Charli xcx herself has ventured across various sectors of the arts, including fashion and film — most notably with the 2026 mockumentary film “The Moment.”
The album’s sentiment is captured in its eye-catching cover: a black-and-white photograph of musician John Cale, fashion designer Marc Jacobs and director Martin Scorsese solemnly staring at the camera.
The desire to create iconic art with friends is the subject of the opening track “Rock Music,” which marks an upbeat start to the album with its energetic, punchy guitar riffs. In the song, Charli xcx addresses her departure from club music by proclaiming, “I think the dance floor is dead / So now we’re making rock music.”
At the core of the distorted guitars and autotuned vocals on the album lies a lyrical honesty. The pre-chorus of “SS26” reflects on the blurry line between performance and reality, with Charli xcx singing “Think my politics could work as a press strategy.”
The record’s third track, “Card Declined,” presents an image of reality that contrasts the dramatic glamour of “BRAT.” As her vocals echo and eventually mesh into nonsense, Charli xcx voices her desperation to buy expensive handbags, shoes and “a whole new life.”
While “Music, Fashion, Film” departs from the themes of Charli xcx’s previous release, her artistic voice is preserved in the simplistic, incisive songwriting. In particular, “Camera” shines with its straightforward yet introspective lyrics.
“Do I wanna make music? / Am I being f— in’stupid / If I try to be a girl on the / screen when I’m turning / 34?” Charli xcx sings. As the song builds to its climax, an explosion of ethereal synths and guitars lays the foundation for a chorus of throaty chants as the singer repeats, “it makes me feel.” Repetition works as a deliberate artistic choice on the album. What may land as lazy writing to some actually conveys a relatable emotional depth.
In “Wink Wink,” the singer again tests the line between reality and the narratives portrayed in the media, continuously singing “wink wink” in the chorus. This meta theme becomes even more prominent in the tail end of the album, as Charli xcx contemplates the intricate relationship between the art and the artist in “Persona.”
Legendary director David Cronenberg joins Charli xcx for the final track, “No One Lasts Forever featuring David Cronenberg.” The song dismisses the notion that art must become immortal, with Cronenberg chanting the song’s title until his voice becomes lost in the static — a poignant choice that leaves listeners in an unexpected atmosphere of eeriness and existentialism.
Ultimately, “Music, Fashion, Film” is an artistically unconventional route for Charli xcx — yet one that she steers quite well. Despite the album’s limited sonic differentiation, the singer perfectly captures the modern pop culture scene through tongue-in-cheek references and snappy synths.
