Charli XCX’s surprise third album came out last month and has since garnered much praise. The 27-year-old Brit is currently on a sold-out world tour supporting her latest release, Charli, but she still managed to squeeze in an interview with Vogue to discuss the current status of pop.
The genre that was once ruled by mega superstars who seemed intent on putting out music that was sterilized of any personality or negativity is now lead by a new crop of pop-queens that perhaps have lower sale-figures, but go all out on authenticity.
“I feel like Billie [Eilish], Ariana [Grande], Miley [Cyrus], and Lana [Del Rey] are all making the art they wanna make and releasing it at their own pace,” says Charli. “It’s genuine to who they are and feels very authentic. And pop before hasn’t been authentic.”
She went on to explain that “[Pop]’s been about creating a world that is the most accessible, sellable, marketable, and relatable. When I look at Billie Eilish, I don’t see her trying to be relatable at all. I see her just doing herself, and that happens to be relatable to millions of kids across the world. But I don’t see her trying to be something she isn’t.”
This change in the industry reflects a bigger change in society, Charli suggests. “Audiences can smell when something is calculated,” she concludes.
