From hyperpop pioneer to brat summer queen! Join us as we count down the most iconic tracks from pop's favorite rule-breaker. Our list celebrates Charli's evolution from early indie darling to experimental pop visionary, showcasing her genre-bending sound and unforgettable collaborations that have redefined modern music.
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00:01Charlie!
00:02Oh my god, thank goodness you're here.
00:04Hi, girl.
00:05Yeah, hey.
00:06I was just about to do my song, actually.
00:09Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:10And today, we're counting down our picks for the most iconic songs by pop sensation Charlie XCX.
00:25Number 10, Gone with Christine and the Queens.
00:30I'm so sorry, but it feels so cold in here.
00:36Charlie's collaborations are always top tier, and this is no exception.
00:41Appearing with Christine and the Queens on her eponymous 2019 project, Charlie,
00:46Gone offers a different perspective on her usual themes.
00:50While her lyrics are normally in support of a perpetual party,
00:53this one focuses on another angle, being in a room where you're not sure you're wanted.
00:58Why do we keep when the water runs?
01:02Why do we love if we're so mistaken?
01:06It captures the anxiety that comes with being in a group of people you don't connect with,
01:10and is the very definition of cathartic.
01:13Why do we keep when the water runs?
01:16Why do we love if we're so mistaken?
01:20This track is made for introverts and outsiders, and it's done without feeling pretentious or preachy.
01:26Both acts' unique vocal stylings are highlighted beautifully,
01:30leading up to a breakdown at the conclusion that will leave you aching for more.
01:34Don't touch me in here, I'm already gone, baby.
01:42Number 9. Forever.
01:44You're beside you and I, draw from miles, never be here, be here.
01:49Love is a powerful thing, even when it isn't being experienced outright.
01:54Forever captures this effortlessly, with emotionally intense lyrics about how love will always remain,
02:00even after it's long over.
02:07It's a different, more mature take on the concept of true love, acknowledging that it continues even beyond the physical plane.
02:14The song was released during a time of mass isolation and loneliness, making the message even more poignant.
02:27It goes beyond the confines of romantic love, with the ability to apply to family and friends as well.
02:33The distorted production throughout the track beautifully exacerbates the feeling of yearning,
02:38effectively redefining the way emotion can be portrayed in music.
02:42I love you, I love you forever, yeah, I love you forever.
02:50Number 8. Nuclear Seasons.
02:53When you go, please don't move your love in the sun, my heart will melt away.
03:01Although Charli's most recent work has earned plenty of praise, her beginnings can't be ignored.
03:06First appearing on her EP, You're the One, the gorgeous Nuclear Seasons was also included on her first full-length project, True Romance.
03:14This track perfectly captures the vibe of the early 2010s, with a slightly darker tone and moody lyricism, inspired by what she felt was a lack of youth culture.
03:32Peppered throughout are small audio details that add to the piece and keep the listener drawn in the entire time.
03:39I can feel it, I can feel the fear.
03:47An early indicator of her more experimental side.
03:50It's a different take on the standard breakup song, and while it wasn't a hit, it serves as a perfectly palatable introduction to the rest of her discography.
03:59Number 7. Next Level Charli.
04:17While her most recent work is defined by her maximalist production, she does sometimes allow her voice to do all the heavy lifting.
04:24This is most apparent on Next Level Charli, an otherworldly album opener that highlights her stellar vocals.
04:31Wading on the highway roll, forming my thigh.
04:33Turn the volume up and your Prius windows down and just fly.
04:37Boom, boom.
04:38Over a steady layering beat that accompanies her voice without overpowering it, she crafts the ultimate Charli track, complete with lyrical references to her past work.
04:47It showed a level of maturation in her work that stood out to long-time listeners, a true indication that she had found her signature sound.
04:54It appeared to be the natural end result to everything she had made up to that point, and set the stage for the rest of her self-titled project.
05:09That, like, song that you put on when you're, like, going to the club, or you're going to the house party, or you're, like, getting...
05:14The pre-game.
05:15The pre-game.
05:16Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:17You're in the group chat with them.
05:18I'm in the group chat, yeah.
05:19Yeah, so that song is really about that, and I just wanted to capture that kind of, like, essence of that excitement that you sometimes have before a night out.
05:26Number 6. Party For You
05:35While her intense songs receive plenty of attention, Charli can take on a more understated piece as well.
05:41The themes in Party For You are painfully relatable to many, centered around throwing a party just for the chance of seeing one specific person.
05:49The production starts out light, allowing her voice to do most of the work.
06:01Her prowess is further shown with the varying tempos throughout the verses, including an impressively quick verse after the first chorus.
06:08Then the climax kicks in.
06:10Party!
06:15Charli self-harmonizing over a pounding baseline as her daydream reaches its peak.
06:21It's no wonder why fans had been begging for this for years before it was finally released.
06:26Number 5. Von Dutch
06:28Dutch. What better way to kick off Brat Summer than this intentionally aggressive tune? Coming
06:40off the relative commercial success of Crash, Charlie had a lot to prove, and Von Dutch helped
06:45her re-enter the public eye in the most dramatic way possible. With lyrics all about a classic,
06:57accepting one's status as a gossip-worthy star over an insane beat, it's the perfect mix of
07:03petulance and pure fun. It's nearly impossible not to listen to it without wanting to dance along,
07:09with the vibe emulating one you might feel at a rave or festival.
07:20It's the very essence of Brat bottled up into one song, and it was the perfect way of introducing
07:25the era to the world. Number 4, Visions.
07:35If there's one thing to know about Charlie XCX, it's that she knows how to close out an album
07:41perfectly. Visions ends her beloved pandemic album, How I'm Feeling Now, with a bang.
07:46The track mixes lilting, artistically auto-tuned vocals over a synth instrumental that only becomes
07:59more intense the longer it goes on. After the second chorus, things really kick into high gear,
08:05with a driving beat that becomes more and more distorted and passionate.
08:09The ending is abrasive in the best way possible, forcing the listener back to reality.
08:21It perfectly captures the frenzied feeling of the lockdown,
08:25and serves as pure escapism from it all at once.
08:28Number 3, Girls So Confusing, featuring Lorde.
08:44When Brat first hit the airwaves in the summer of 2024, some cuts jumped out as immediate standouts,
08:51including the confrontational Girls So Confusing.
08:54After some speculation, it was revealed to have been inspired by Lorde,
08:59a fellow modern pop icon.
09:08While some stars would have been offended having such a personal track written about them,
09:13she went the opposite route by offering to work it out on the remix.
09:17After 3 days, it was finished,
09:19and even better than before.
09:20Girl, you walk like a bitch
09:23When I was 10, someone said that
09:25And it's just self-defense
09:27Until you're building a weapon
09:28Lorde's verse offered an entirely new perspective,
09:32complete with raw, personal lyrics explaining her mindset at the time.
09:36It was the perfect way to both mend their friendship,
09:38and showcase the complexities of working relationships between two artists.
09:43And when we put this to bed
09:44The internet will go crazy
09:47I'm glad I know how you feel
09:48Cause I'll fight for you, Charlie
09:50Number 2
09:52Vroom Vroom
09:53Let's fight
09:54Let's fight
09:57Let's fight
09:58Let's fight
10:00An artist introducing a new sound is always a risk,
10:04but when done well can lead to even more opportunities.
10:07Up until 2016,
10:09Charlie had been a standard pop artist with a couple of radio-friendly hits.
10:13I've been waiting for a good time
10:16A good time
10:17Let me ride
10:17Let me ride
10:18My life
10:20The mid-2010s brought on a shift that nobody was anticipating.
10:24She was working with all new producers to create a more experimental track,
10:28leading to Vroom Vroom
10:30All my life
10:31I've been waiting for a good time
10:34A good time
10:35Let me ride
10:36Let me ride
10:37My life
10:38With a pumping instrumental and unapologetically sassy rap verses
10:42interlaced with a poppy chorus,
10:44it was a complete departure from her old work while still being 100% her.
10:48Her creative risk ended up paying off in spades,
10:51with it even going on to later define the hyper-pop subgenre.
10:55Zoom, zoom, zoom, zoom
10:57Trying to keep me but you're too slow
10:59Too slow, too slow
11:01Before we unveil our top pick,
11:04here are a few honorable mentions.
11:06Boys
11:07Boys
11:07An unapologetically fun number that survived the scrapping of XCX World
11:12But I was busy thinking about
11:14Boys
11:15Boys
11:16Boys
11:18Unlock It featuring Kim Petras and Jay Park
11:22Puts her artistry and sense of humor on full display
11:25Try to unlock it
11:27Apple
11:34An unexpected hit that took TikTok by storm
11:37Guess featuring Billie Eilish
11:46A high-profile collab that popularized Brat Summer even more
11:50Yuck
11:56Helped define the very essence of the crash era
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12:21Number 1. Track 10
12:24This is proof that streams don't equate to quality
12:27Collaborating with music legend Sophie, Charlie crafted Track 10
12:32The completed version was released two years later as a collaboration with Lizzo
12:36But it's this earlier version that has stood the test of time
12:39It opens with the sound of glitching and interference
12:42Before morphing into a densely layered, synth-filled track
12:50Even the use of autotune doesn't take away from the emotion
13:00The repetition of the lyrics is masterfully done
13:03Emulating the feeling of endlessly blaming oneself for a relationship gone wrong
13:08It all builds up to an intense musical climax
13:19That will leave any listener aching for more
13:22It's an amalgamation of everything that makes her one of the most unique artists working today
13:27Which Charlie song do you think defines her the most?
13:37Let us know in the comments
13:39Do you agree with our picks?
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