'Sucker' is a blast of neon; a snotty declaration to a pop landscape populated by artists often more comfortable lurking in the shadows, superhero sequel style.
Charli XCX seems to have been around for aeons, whether putting out singles and a debut, ‘True Romance’, that set the internet’s buzzometer fluttering or popping up as as intriguing, witty guest on records that otherwise would have faded to beige.
Her second album arrives in the UK a little later than planned - you can thank the largely superfluous addition of Rita Ora to the already pretty great Doing It for the wait - but you sense that Charli XCX couldn't give a shit about that.
This is a very confident, in-your-face record that pairs its attitude with songwriting guile that owes as much to the “anything goes” new wave of the early '80s as it does today's pop behemoths. From the title track’s very literal “fuck you” on down, 'Sucker' is about making statements, individuality and a deep, knowing sense of fun.
While Break The Rules is a little too anti-establishment-by-numbers, that’s balanced out by the bratty, gutsy London Queen - complete with Joey Ramone's spat-out pronunciation of 'baseball bat' - and Breaking Up, a scuzzy guitar pop song with a layered, infectious chorus.
Gold Coins, meanwhile, pairs tongue-in-cheek braggadocio with another huge hook and Boom Clap, despite feeling like it's been doing the rounds for a decade, remains a bold, brash statement. Only Die Tonight, an incongruously by-the-book ballad, really falls flat.
CharliXCX knows that she's a star. There's a real air of cool around 'Sucker', from the sharp lyrics to the offhand delivery of melodies that other pop hopefuls would happily kill for, but also a sense that she's rallying a crowd rather than looking down from her newly-acquired Hollywood throne. A debut to serve as the foundation stone of a long, leopard print career.
Charli XCX Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue March 24 2015 - BRIGHTON Concorde 2
Wed March 25 2015 - LONDON O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
Fri March 27 2015 - GLASGOW Queen Margaret Union
Sat March 28 2015 - SHEFFIELD Plug, The
Mon March 30 2015 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Tue March 31 2015 - MANCHESTER Academy 2
Wed April 01 2015 - NOTTINGHAM Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Thu April 02 2015 - BIRMINGHAM Library, Institute
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