Back in 2013, a young twenty-something star in the making was to release her debut album; “True Romance”, a well-produced collection of hip-hop, alt. pop and electronica, and it was to officially put her on the map as “one to watch”. Her name was CHARLI XCX, and ever since she’s gone from strength to strength, not looking back once. Support slots on tours with the likes of PARAMORE and ELLIE GOULDING, chart topping collaborations with ICONA POP; it was the perfect start for the girl from Stevenage. Fast forward to 2015 and we see her release her hotly anticipated second album; “Sucker”…can she keep it up?
The album opens up with the title track and it’s clear she’s retained some elements of her 80’s inspired synth-pop; it’s quite feisty, a lot livelier than her early work, with a perfect blend of youthful innocence and teenage attitude, it’s a good start. “Break The Rules” along with other singles “Boom Clap” and the more recent “Doing It” featuring RITA ORA all sound massive; extremely infectious choruses, big production…they’re simple yet perfect pop songs. Other non-single tracks are on par too however, with the likes of “Breaking Up”, “London Queen” and “Body Of My Own” in particular being incredibly catchy. Having said that, with a 15-track album, you’re going to have some weak moments…“Hanging Around” for example, just lacking that certain spark. Other than that, it’s a fairly solid record.
The question was, could Charli keep it up? Could she ride the huge wave of momentum she’d generated over the past year? The answer is a resounding yes. The tunes are bigger, she’s a more polished artist and more importantly she’s having the time of her life doing it all, which resonates through the music. She’s like a modern day Spice Girl if you will…full of character, full of energy and full of fun. With big tours alongside the likes of KATY PERRY on the horizon, plus nominations for NME and other awards already, this look likes the year of the XCX. If you didn’t believe the hype, then, I guess you’re the sucker. [8]
Visit http://www.charlixcxmusic.com
The album opens up with the title track and it’s clear she’s retained some elements of her 80’s inspired synth-pop; it’s quite feisty, a lot livelier than her early work, with a perfect blend of youthful innocence and teenage attitude, it’s a good start. “Break The Rules” along with other singles “Boom Clap” and the more recent “Doing It” featuring RITA ORA all sound massive; extremely infectious choruses, big production…they’re simple yet perfect pop songs. Other non-single tracks are on par too however, with the likes of “Breaking Up”, “London Queen” and “Body Of My Own” in particular being incredibly catchy. Having said that, with a 15-track album, you’re going to have some weak moments…“Hanging Around” for example, just lacking that certain spark. Other than that, it’s a fairly solid record.
The question was, could Charli keep it up? Could she ride the huge wave of momentum she’d generated over the past year? The answer is a resounding yes. The tunes are bigger, she’s a more polished artist and more importantly she’s having the time of her life doing it all, which resonates through the music. She’s like a modern day Spice Girl if you will…full of character, full of energy and full of fun. With big tours alongside the likes of KATY PERRY on the horizon, plus nominations for NME and other awards already, this look likes the year of the XCX. If you didn’t believe the hype, then, I guess you’re the sucker. [8]
Visit http://www.charlixcxmusic.com
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