If puberty were an album, Charli XCX’s latest EP would be the sexy girl you meet at your high school reunion.
“Number 1 Angel” oozes glamour and sophistication over tracks fit for a party queen.
Last year Charli worked with PC music producer SOPHIE on a small, but feisty EP that flipped her romcom soundtrack style into 3 a.m. club staples.
This time around she brought PC giants Danny L. Harle and A.G. Cook into the fold. Her first big commercial success came from an innocent song featured in “The Fault In Our Stars” soundtrack, which followed her bubble gum pop sophomore release, “Sucker.”
From spring 2016 to now, Charli’s sound has been anything but innocent and docile.
This album is a small taste of the real Charli, the one you would kiss the bathroom mirror in a bar with.
“It’s 3 a.m. and you are callin’ / Go f*** yourself, don’t say you’re sorry / Can’t believe I used to want this,” She sings on “3 AM (Pull Up).” While these lyrics aren’t going to be featured on any PG movies anytime soon, they do serve a purpose.
They are a reflection of bad decisions and growth of a young girl trying to make the most out of her 20s.
Charli knows her audience and she knows that they want to hear songs that they can dance and relate to. This is a good effort, but this album could have used more emotional meat.
She pours herself into the songs, but it’s more of a shot of her potential not a full flask.
From a quick glance on her social media profiles, it’s obvious she appears to live the life she sings about (and does it well!). A day in the life of this pop star is boozy parties, in your face fashion and glitter grunge realness.
As a young female myself, I would be lying if I didn’t say her life looks like a Hollywood fantasy I dream about living in.
The dazzling production is what stands out or rather shines in your face like a fog light.
Sure she has pipes and her voice sounds like butter melting on pancakes most of the time, but the production is what defines her sound transformation.
The crystal clean synths are not anything new or revolutionary, but paired with her hybrid style of pop and R&B they shine.
Her glittering vocals are set apart and enhanced by guest verses from Starrah, Raye, Uffie, MØ, ABRA and cupcakKe.
Without their contributions, which range from daddy issues to rich girl independence, the overall aesthetic of glam girl power would feel like a reach for the artist herself.
Her third full studio album is set to launch sometime this year and she is scheduled to appear at large scale festivals this summer such as the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama.
It’s hard to tell if the album will follow in the footsteps of this EP, but either way it will strike a chord with twenty-somethings looking for a beat to forget the loser they wasted their best Friday nights with.
