In a striking musical pivot, pop sensation Charli XCX has declared that "the dancefloor is dead" as she announces work on her eighth studio album, which will embrace a rock sound. The 33-year-old singer, born Charlotte Emma Aitchison, revealed this dramatic shift in a new cover interview for the May issue of British Vogue, stating she is completing the project after moving away from her hyperpop roots.
A New Musical Direction
Charli XCX, best known for her global hit "360" and the massively successful album Brat, explained her decision to abandon dance music for rock. "If I'd made another album that felt more dance-leaning, it would have felt really hard, really sad," she told the magazine. Her husband, George Daniel of The 1975, even suggested she "broke dance music" with her previous work.
From Brat to Rock
The Brat album, with its iconic lime green cover and party-themed aesthetic, catapulted Charli to new heights of fame in 2024, capturing the cultural zeitgeist. It earned her the British Album of the Year award at the 2025 Brit Awards, along with two Grammy Awards and a Billboard Music Award. Despite this success, Charli felt compelled to explore new sonic territories.
She teased that her upcoming rock album will "bend the possibilities" of what the genre can be from her perspective. The music will delve into themes of art and purpose, exploring what would happen if art—which she describes as "the joint main love of my life outside of George"—were taken from her. "How I would have no purpose, and how for good or bad, art does provide me with purpose in my life," she added.
Balancing Multiple Projects
Charli admitted that working on the album while simultaneously shooting a new film with acclaimed Japanese director Takashi Miike has been "a bit of a nightmare." During the interview, she broke down in tears, confessing, "I'm overwhelmed and emotional but I'm ready to go. My body isn't handling it very well."
Health and Career Challenges
The star also revealed that the intense Brat tour left her with nerve damage in her neck from performing, describing the new album as a reset after that period of extreme fame. In addition to her music and film work, Charli has ventured into acting, playing herself in the mockumentary The Moment earlier this year and taking roles in films like Gregg Araki's erotic comedy I Want Your Sex, the thriller The Gallerist, and the upcoming horror movie Faces of Death.
Her recent soundtrack for Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights received critical acclaim, with The Independent's Helen Brown awarding it five stars and calling it a "windswept, gothic triumph." While no release date has been set for the new rock album, the British Vogue interview noted she was finishing it last month. The full feature is available in the May issue, on newsstands and via digital download from Tuesday 21 April.
