The New York Times - Louder: How Charli XCX Navigates Pop

March 25, 2022

By Caryn Ganz

Pop Music Editor

Charli XCX’s latest album, “Crash,” completes the pop star’s five-album arc on the major label Atlantic, and what a truly fascinating journey it’s been.

Her 2013 arrival, “True Romance,” revealed a songwriter with incredible facility for dramatic yet catchy melodies and a palate of dreamy and buzzy synths. Its follow-up a year later, “Sucker,” put a pointed spin on pop-punk and new wave. And then, a rupture — on a series of EPs and mixtapes, Charli explored glitchier, chillier, more challenging sounds with Sophie and A.G. Cook that stretched into territory overlapping with what some call hyperpop. Returning to her label albums in 2019 with “Charli,” she seemed unfortunately caught between her experiments and conventional pop leanings, and a year later she made an album entirely in coronavirus lockdown called “How I’m Feeling Now” that more firmly indulged her sonic curiosities. Now the pendulum has swung the other way: “Crash” is a bold attempt at the kind of pop stardom that’s increasingly elusive these days, smoothing her edges but leaving the winks and melodic twists that set her apart. (Recommended: “Constant Repeat” and “Used to Know Me.”)

Along the way, one of Charli’s constants has been a strong devotion to collaboration. “New Shapes” on the new album features Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens, frequent creative partners who have taken very different paths in the music industry. Melena Ryzik convened the trio for a conversation about their careers and the obstacles they’ve faced.

Also this week: Aldous Harding, a New Zealand singer-songwriter that conforms to no conventions, has a new album that Lindsay Zoladz named a Critic’s Pick. Ben Sisario reported on Kanye West’s unvitation from the Grammy performance lineup and its implications for an event that had worked to woo him back. And Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli discussed Rosalía’s new album on Popcast.

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How Charli XCX, Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens Navigate Pop

The friends and collaborators have taken very different paths in the music industry. Joining up on a track from Charli’s new album, “Crash,” they talked about their crucial camaraderie.

By Melena Ryzik

Camp Cope Is OK With Getting Big, If Fans Still ‘Cry and Lose Their Minds’

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THE CRITICS & POPCAST

Critic’s Pick

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The Playlist

Soccer Mommy Stretches Her Sound, and 12 More New Songs

Hear tracks by Phife Dawg, Omar Apollo, Zola Jesus and others.

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Carlos Jaramillo for The New York Times

The Many Worlds of Rosalía

The Spanish phenom’s music takes in a host of global influences, making her one of the most sonically ambitious and critically dissected pop artists today.

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Kanye West’s Stormy Relationship With the Grammys Erupts Again

The musician, nominated for five awards, was told he will not be able to perform at the ceremony on April 3. The decision came after weeks of erratic and troubling public behavior.

By Ben Sisario

Woman Is Charged in Shoving Death of Broadway Singing Coach

Lauren Pazienza, 26, turned herself in and was charged with manslaughter in the death of Barbara Maier Gustern, 87.

By Ashley Wong and Ashley Southall

The Charts

Lil Durk and Ghost Shake Up the Billboard Chart

After an eight-week run at the top for the “Encanto” soundtrack, new albums from the rapper and the Swedish metal band take over.

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TV

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Critic’s Notebook

Welcome to the Future. ‘Atlanta’ Has Been Waiting for You.

After four long years, the Season 3 premiere goes to strange places with a familiar confidence.

By James Poniewozik

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The singer-songwriter is in a reflective state in the director Stacey Lee’s film, which documents a trip from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles.

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British fans gathered to enjoy an overnight program of alternative classical music — a loose, soothing genre that many have discovered during the pandemic.

By Hugh Morris