The best recording artists eventually stop trying to perfect their instincts and start trusting them instead. That’s where Charli xcx finds herself on ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ — operating at the peak of her powers, pushing her own creative boundaries while making everything sound casual, as though these ideas simply spilled out of the studio before anyone had the chance to overthink them.
Following the cultural phenomenon of ‘BRAT’, she could easily have attempted to repeat the formula. Instead, she swerves towards jagged guitars, lo-fi textures and deliberately unfinished songwriting, creating a record that feels somewhere between an indie mixtape, an art project and a major pop release.
The references are obvious, notably Blur, The Strokes, and Garbage, but they're absorbed into Charli’s hyperpop universe rather than feeling derivative.
Rock Music immediately announces the shift. Built around crunchy guitars and deadpan vocals, it sounds both reckless and meticulously designed, perfectly capturing Charli’s gift for making irony and sincerity occupy the same space.
Camera is the emotional centrepiece, exploring performance, identity and filmmaking with a vulnerability that recalls the finest moments of 'BRAT', while Magic Metal Montana becomes a surprisingly moving tribute to longtime collaborator A.G. Cook, quietly arguing that great pop is rarely the work of a single genius.
That spirit of collaboration runs throughout the album. Charli increasingly sounds less interested in chasing chart trends than documenting the creative communities that shape her work, allowing rough edges, half-finished thoughts and conversational lyrics (“Maybe I fucked your dad!”) to become part of the aesthetic rather than imperfections to be edited away.
It's a remarkable achievement; not because Charli has reinvented herself again, but because she’s become confident enough not to. At a point when most major pop stars become increasingly risk-averse, she sounds happier embracing imperfection than chasing consensus. That's a far harder trick than simply changing genres.
Charli XCX Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri August 28 2026 - READING Richfield Avenue
Sat August 29 2026 - LEEDS Bramham Park
Fri September 11 2026 - PHILADELPHIA Pennsylvania - Xfinity Mobile Arena (USA)
Mon September 14 2026 - NEW YORK New York - Barclays Center (USA)
Tue September 15 2026 - NEW YORK New York - Barclays Center (USA)
Mon September 21 2026 - TORONTO Ontario - Scotiabank Arena (Canada)
Thu September 24 2026 - BOSTON Massachusetts - TD Garden (USA)
Mon September 28 2026 - WASHINGTON District Of Columbia - Capital One Arena (USA)
Fri October 02 2026 - AUSTIN Texas - Zilker Park (USA)
Tue October 06 2026 - ATLANTA Georgia - State Farm Arena (USA)
Fri October 09 2026 - AUSTIN Texas - Zilker Park (USA)
Wed October 14 2026 - SAN DIEGO California - Viejas Arena (USA)
Sat October 17 2026 - LOS ANGELES California - Kia Forum (USA)
Sun October 18 2026 - LOS ANGELES California - Kia Forum (USA)
Wed October 21 2026 - GLENDALE Arizona - Desert Diamond Arena (USA)
Fri October 23 2026 - LAS VEGAS Nevada - Garden Arena at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino Las Vegas (USA)
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