Welcome to Metro.co.uk‘s The Big Questions, where we ask, well, the big questions (and the smaller ones too) and this week, we’re diving deep with singer Charli XCX.
In a nutshell: what a week.
The superstar, 29, released her song Baby, was announced on the Glastonbury 2022 lineup, and is performing on Saturday Night Live tonight. She also announced she was pulling out of an NFT festival called Afterparty, following intense criticism that saw her step back from Twitter (sort of – more on that below).
The work doesn’t stop though and as she prepares to drop her fifth studio album, Crash, later this month, which will be, she promises us, ‘cool as f**k’ Charli – real name Charlotte Aitchison – spoke to us about the perils of social media, her new campaign alongside designer Charles Jeffrey for Samsung and how the pandemic turned her from a member of the ‘straight-through-crew’ to someone with more of a proclivity for ‘good drinks and chic disco music’.
It’s called growth.
Talk to me about the film you shot alongside Charles Jeffrey…
It’s been quite a unique experience, I would say. We made a fashion film with Samsung and Charles Jeffrey to launch the new Galaxy S22’s device range and the shoot day itself was pretty crazy.
I was dressed in this amazing Charles Jeffrey look head to toe, running around in the dead of the night in a field of maybe 50-100 sheep. Which was a new experience for me and it will definitely give me some memories I will never forget. I didn’t see that being something that would be in my life – sheep are very cute.
I felt very cool in the outfit. I love shooting music videos in general and this film was directed by Matilda Finn who I’ve been a fan of for a very long time. Her vibe is very dark, so to be shooting the night with her, wearing Charles, showcasing and reflecting what this technology can do is really cool.
I love Charles’s work; I feel like he’s referencing club kid culture quite a lot in his designs and that’s something I’ve always been quite interested in from a young age. I started my career in music performing at illegal warehouse parties and raves. I became enthralled with that scene that Charles is referencing in his work, and also with the nighttime in general.
I think I come alive at night. I reference going out at night a lot in my lyrics; driving at night is something I love to do. And so, this collaboration felt really right to me, because I do feel most creative at nighttime.
You recently took a break from social media [after criticism of an NFT festival]. How have you felt after unplugging?
If we’re being honest, I didn’t really unplug that much. Not as much as I would like to, but it’s been good.
I think you sometimes forget the world is a real, tangible place, with people you know and have known for a long time that you can see in real life and touch and communicate with. Sometimes when I get too sucked into the world online I forget that a little bit.
I think it’s two very different places and environments, so I’ve been trying to connect a little bit more with the actual human beings who are around me and my life, because they make me feel really good. So that’s what I’m trying to do right now, I suppose.
Is it hard to balance doing what you love, promoting new songs, but also protecting your own space?
Yeah, I think that’s the dichotomy that everybody deals with no matter what they do. How much they are online versus in their own life. When it comes to being a public person, with an online presence, that gets a little more confusing, I suppose.
You know I think I needed to take a break, I needed to take a breath and I think I have done that now.
Generally, I think I handle the internet pretty well, I don’t get sucked into negative vibes too much, but I’ve been feeling quite emotionally low this year anyway, so when I sort of did delve into things that felt a little negative it hit me harder than it normally would. Normally I’m quite good at laughing it off and just moving on in my life. But I think because I was already a little bit low it kind of…mean things hurt. I think I just felt hurt a little bit.
Honestly, I’ve been in New York, took a couple of days off and feeling pretty good now. So I think those days are gone.
How have you evolved in regards to living in the spotlight? Or has it always been a weird concept…
It’s always a bit weird but I will say I can go pretty incognito, depending on where I am. I think I’ve always been quite an opinionated person and I think sometimes people expect me to continue to be so, and sometimes I am and sometimes I’m not.
I think people also see me as a tough person in ways, because I am able to laugh at myself and I can poke fun at myself quite easily. But, you know, sometimes that’s not the case anymore.
I think the thing about being a public person, and just being on the internet in general, you build a version of yourself that then people assume you will be all the time.
I also am really lucky to have a great relationship with my fans and they get me and I feel really supported by them and that feels really awesome, so I do also feel protected by them and the relationship that we have.
Your recent SNL appearance had you dressed as a parrot in a brilliant skit about Christmas socks, but your performance was scuppered by Omicron. What are your plans for your return?
That’s part of the reason I’m in New York at the moment, I am going back to perform on March 5. I’m not sure if there will be another equivalent to Christmas Socks, but I will be performing a couple songs on the show. I’m really excited.
I love the show and I performed on there in 2014, or something, so it’s been a long time since I’ve been back and I feel excited and very, very nervous to go and perform but I’m up for it, I’m ready for it.
What does 2022 look like for you?
I will be releasing more music ahead of my album, which comes March 18, and I’m really proud of the album. It’s probably the most pop thing I’ve done in a while but honestly it’s still cool as f**k as well, so it’s a good balance.
Then I’m going on tour, which I feel really, really happy about. It’s gonna be the first time I’m doing pretty hardcore choreography so it’s definitely a new show. And obviously, because of the pandemic, I haven’t really toured extensively for a few years so I’m really excited to be able to go out to America and Europe, but also play the biggest show I’ve ever played in London at Ally Pally which will be amazing.
Gotta love Ally Pally…
I honestly remember when I used to pay at the Hoxton Bar and Grill to my parents and one other person. The fact I’m doing a show at Ally Pally feels completely surreal and I can’t believe I’ve got there, and the reason I have is my incredible fans and how much they’ve stuck by me.
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