RichardBaxter

i actually couldn't agree more with nearly everything you've said. this feels like her first real artistic statement via music. and it's really funny you reference lana + ultraviolence because i had the SAME thought over the weekend. i feel like charli will sort of become this generation's lana from here on out, where the commercial success will come from moving albums/world building and selling out larger tours than hit songs/singles.

this will be, without question, her most divisive project since vroom vroom. it basically wipes the slate clean from the last 10 years or so. i expect it to debut in the top 10 based on name recognition alone. critics seemingly love the singles so i don't see that changing. i'm hoping the label is going to push camera hard once the record drops. it's her biggest earworm for me in a long time (which is wild to say). most of the songs feel very raw, impulsive, and fall to the side of stream of conscious writing which gives them that unfinished feeling. this is very much so a charli xcx record however. if that is kept in mind it'll be digestible after a few spins. for me, the listening event was very unexpected listen despite being fully onboard with everything we've heard thus far. i personally will need a few listens for it to click. the dance floor is really fuckin dead…

fab recap, that's helped jog my memory as well, adding some color where I can for those who are interested! - Card Declined - would emphasis the "not necessarily upbeat" portion here. it felt like this was intentioned slowed down/pitched down? the song almost drags - not in a "omg this is boring" way, but in a "i feel like i'm stepping through molasses" way (if that makes sense). this was probably the most unexpected sounding song for me. - I'm Afraid - echoing the same as a ballad. i would not use the word "rock" here, but "acoustic". i don't think the 2000s sample rumors are accurate. the structure of the chorus goes "i'm a wife, i'm a kid, i'm etc. etc.". i think fans took this and ran with it, thinking it samples meredith brooks' "*****". there wasn't any sample or interpolation for my ears, but i could be wrong when the credits come out. would expand on this as well, keeping the theme of the album in mind about process - rang as more of "i'm afraid the way i approach art and creative will end my marriage". - Persona - will likely be compared to "girl so confusing" as it touches on the similar themes. was very hard to make this one out in the theatre so i don't have the true romance vibes, but very very excited to hear this one with headphones. - Magic Metal Montana - whimsical, and upbeat. i was expecting something more mellow and reflective, gives a direct opposite vibe to "so i". this one felt the most unfinished as I only recall a verse chorus (and maybe additional verse) structure? - No One Lasts Forever - the outro is very haunting and borderline uncomfortable (complimentary). something else i'm very excited to hear with headphones.

it's really quite difficult to give descriptions of each song when there's so much stimulation going on (audio, visual, people around screaming / cheering). volume wasn't super high in the theatre either compared to headphones for a first time listen. basically what you're getting from all of us who attended is as good as it's going to get until the album drops. more specific question, perhaps, could be helpful - i know i personally cannot give any lyric examples after one listen if that's desired. basically just vibes.

just got home from toronto. HM. what's there to say? this is, without a doubt, the biggest left turn charli has done since vroom vroom. her humor and wit are cranked up 10x, as well as her introspection and vulnerability. i imagine this record will be her most divisive (it is not digestible on one listen alone), and whilst i don't think this is a means to get rid of those who hopped on the brat train…there's no question this is absolutely a response to the past two+ years of her career that needed to happen. very stream of conscious, very impulsive and at times i felt hollow (complimentary). it's quite ambitious for a "pop star" imo and it can be quite jarring. there really wasn't any other record she could have made after brat. it was always going to be something like this. of the new songs, i dug 2007, i'm afraid (💔), persona, magic metal montana, and no one lasts forever the most (which seems to be the consensus). i don't feel any personal connection at this time to the new music (magic metal montana being the exception), especially after living in the depths of brat for such a long time. maybe that will change when i get to listen to the album over and over, but it's sort of a relief to just enjoy this for what it is instead of "be" it. the film was really cool. there wasn't much here in terms of narration but there kind of was at the same time? i'm going to miss the brief interstitial lead ins to each song on the album when it's released. a real privilege to get a very tiny glimpse behind the curtain of someone's creative process. ultimately, charli continues to operate in a lane of her own. not in her little niche universe, but on this global stage where she's playing with the bigger acts now. and yet, she hasn't compromised her artistic integrity. she really is a generational artist and her creative instincts are what has made her exciting, continues to make her exciting, and will always make her exciting. at least for me.

me as well for toronto just after 2 PM!

we won't - this is mashed up with rock n roll by daft punk.

iconic tbh

feel like it'll be left in the dust, maybe the category for movies. forget the exact name of it.

far too premature to have this convo, but recording packaging or whatever seems likely.

and yet you're the first reply!

i'm quite impressed by this album. have been a fan since the early days and this feels like her most realized project to date. i can understand a label like Republic's reservations on not releasing this (i.e, they have zero idea how to back something like this). i think with a different label, things would have been different but here we are anyway.

looks like. saw on twitter someone teasing the next single for 6/4. if not, maybe with the next one.

lots of you need to familiar yourselves with satire esp through the lens of charli's artistry !

this was always going to bomb. it's in her best interest to just drop it at this point so she can get to touring the rest of the year while moving onto the next project in a fairly quick manner (hopefully before the year is up or early next). her focus should be getting her career back on track to the best of her ability now that she's independent.

rrrrrrAaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwkkkkkkkkkkk

seems like the label is coming after any mentions of the single's artwork and alleged release date, be careful y'all lol

fantastic point that i never considered. i suppose this is officially her new process. i guess we can expect random spurts and releases from here on out!

she should really replicate this release strategy, it was her best and she needs a consistent cadence right now.

persona. sell me the fantasy, make yourself unobtainable. sick of the accessibility, reliability and authenticness. there's also like, no bands whatsoever - specifically rock bands.

the vogue article says there's no auto tune on the songs they heard so likely not a factor creatively

exactly this - emotions are, understandably, running high with this situation and the Russia/Ukraine war in general, but none of this is substantiated by any facts really outside of two people being in the same location. both have spoken out and made their positions clear. at some point, the dog needs to let go of the bone and re-focus into what truly is important here. is it a bad look? yeah. is charli's choice of people who she surrounds herself with questionnable at times? yes, of course. but what can charli xcx truly do to help this situation? there's something to be said here about looking towards celebrities for a moral/ethical high ground. the pressure should be put on elected officials who can actually make a difference vs. an artist who can literally just make a statement and donate any resources to a specific cause.

isn't it tomorrow for those who are selected to be contacted? remember seeing 2/19 when i signed up.

It's Dying For you isn't it? I think I saw that last week with the LA premiere - but it was described as dancey so maybe not!

are you saying that only the instrumentals of the three singles are featured in the movie, and nothing else from her soundtrack?