Charli XCX's headline set at Reading Festival on Friday (28th August) left many fans confused after she omitted her 2012 hit I Love It from the 23-song performance. The track, which gave the singer her first UK number one, was absent from the setlist despite being her most-performed song live, according to Setlist FM, with appearances at 437 shows.
Fan reaction to the missing hit
One festival-goer, a woman named Evie, captured her reaction on video as Charli left the stage without playing the crowd-pleasing classic. She said: "She'd better come back on and play I Love It." When no encore materialised, she updated her caption with a dry verdict: "Confused is an understatement."
I Love It is technically an Icona Pop track, with Charli serving as co-writer and featured artist, but its association with her career has only grown stronger over the years, making its absence all the more surprising to many in the crowd.
Setlist focused on new material
The 2012 track was far from the only familiar face missing from the setlist. Charli made a clear decision to focus almost exclusively on her newer material, with 10 of the 11 tracks from her eighth studio album, Music, Fashion, Film, featuring in the set, alongside eight songs from her 2024 breakthrough album Brat. Two further tracks came from her 2020 record How I'm Feeling Now, while Dying For You and House, both taken from her Wuthering Heights album - the soundtrack to the 2026 film of the same name - also featured. The sole remaining song was drawn from her 2017 mixtape, Pop 2.
The result was that well-loved fan favourites, including Boom Clap, Boys, and Break the Rules, were also left on the cutting room floor, prompting a wave of disappointment from some quarters of her fanbase.
Defenders and festival conclusion
Not everyone was sympathetic, however. Many of those who responded to Evie's video were quick to defend Charli's creative choices, arguing that fans have had ample opportunity over the years to hear the older material performed live. "Girl, you had years to see that song live," one commenter pointed out. Another added: "You guys had so many chances to hear I Love It live. The setlist was amazing, stop."
Having wrapped up at Reading on Friday, Charli brought the same set to the Leeds Festival stage on Saturday (29th August), with I Love It again absent from proceedings. Reading Festival concludes tonight (30th August), with Florence and The Machine, Loyle Carner, Chase and Status, and Role Model among those set to perform on the main stage. Over on the second stage, fans can also catch sets from Julia Wolf, Chris Stussy, and Kneecap.
