Charli XCX

Charli XCX, born Charlotte Emma Aitchison on 2 August 1992, is an English singer, songwriter, and performer whose career has moved between major-label pop and internet-driven experimental releases. She was born in Cambridge, England, and grew up in Start Hill, Essex. As a teenager, she began making music and posting songs online; her early work led to performances at London warehouse parties. Her debut studio album, True Romance, was released in 2013 and included the single “You’re the One.” Charli gained broader recognition through collaborations. She co-wrote and sang on Icona Pop’s 2012 hit “I Love It,” which became an international success. In 2014, she featured on Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. That year, her song “Boom Clap” appeared on the soundtrack for the film The Fault in Our Stars and reached number eight on the Billboard Hot 100. Her second album, Sucker, arrived in 2014 and produced the singles “Break the Rules” and “Doing It,” featuring Rita Ora. Charli then increasingly pursued a more futuristic, electronically adventurous direction. Her 2016 EP Vroom Vroom was produced by SOPHIE and introduced a sharper, hyper-stylized sound. She followed it with the mixtapes Number 1 Angel in 2017 and Pop 2 later that year. Pop 2 included collaborations with Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, Kim Petras, MØ, Cupcakke, Tommy Cash, Dorian Electra, Mykki Blanco, and others. Her self-titled third album, Charli, was released in 2019. It included “Gone,” with Christine and the Queens, and “1999,” featuring Troye Sivan. During the COVID-19 lockdown, she created the album How I’m Feeling Now largely in public view, sharing parts of its writing and production process online. Released in May 2020, it included “Forever,” “Claws,” and “I Finally Understand.” Charli’s 2022 album Crash became her first number-one album in the United Kingdom. Its singles included “Good Ones,” “New Shapes,” “Beg for You,” and “Used to Know Me.” In 2024, she released Brat, an album associated with its lime-green cover, club-oriented production, and songs including “Von dutch,” “360,” and “Apple.”