Charlie XCX - CRASH
Dance Pop – Released March 18, 2022 – 12 songs, 33 mins
LUNDI
Charlotte Aitchison, aka Charli XCX, aka Charli STD, aka Queen of England.. ok, not that last one, but it’s a good idea innit? The Cambridge pop star has had one hell of a career ride so far, from MySpace discovery to vocals and writing credits on the Icona Pop hit I Love It, all the way through to releasing five studio albums, three of which have come in the last 4 years. Charli’s career timeline is impressive to say the least and her most recent effort CRASH sure feels like an exclamation mark on that journey. Let’s dig in!
Easily the most impressive aspect of CRASH is the writing chops of Aitchison. Sure the album isn’t filled with deep introspective lyrics that make your mind wander but she is the lead writer on each and every song. In an industry where the slightest misstep can ruin all career momentum Charli takes the reigns and leads the way lyrically. That’s not something very many pop stars can lay claim to and it’s awfully impressive. Her powerful vocals are the cherry on top.
The production on the album is also excellent. As typical with pop music it features an exhaustive list of collaborators yet the overall effort still feels cohesive. The album, while primarily classified as dance-pop, crosses multiple pop decades transporting the listener back to the Janet Jackson led 80’s and 90’s (New Shapes, Used to Know Me) while sprinkling in early 2000’s Britney Spears inspired dance tracks (Move Me, Crash). It’s a mainstream effort with all the tricks of the trade and damn if it’s not catchy.
There are a couple of missteps for sure (Lightning, Every Rule) and there’s none of the experimentation Charli has become known for but given it’s her last record on a major label it’s no surprise to see her go out with this type of focus. She could have easily mailed it in but absolutely had no thought of letting her guard down. Her vocals are sharp and the hooks are sexy. It’s an excellent pop album. Question now is where does the self proclaimed music nerd go next?
CRASH packs a fierce pop punch and cements Charli XCX as formidable heavyweight opponent vying for the pop stardom throne.
Overall Rating: 8.0/10
Favourite Song: Move Me
REID
Charlotte Emma Aitchison is the latest new artist for me on album review number sixty-two. For years I’ve seen or heard Charli XCX’s name on festival posters or listed on the top of pop charts and crusty old me thought ‘another dumb 21st century artist with ‘lil’ or extra/random consonants in her name for no good reason’. Luckily TSR keeps me in check, often getting me out of my comfort zone to shake off the mid-30’s and explore the music. Turns out the 29-year-old English pop star’s stage name is her MSN Messenger username from way back. Interesting enough and hey, whatever works! CRASH is her fifth studio album since her first in 2013.
After the first couple of listens, this review seemed it would be a tough one to get through. But it had some legs. Songs with catchy hooks like Good Ones, Beg For You and Baby tick off all criteria on the pop superstar checklist. Clocking in at thirty-four minutes over 12 songs, Charli XCX doesn’t overdo it and the album has good flow.
That’s where the positives end. I’ll never understand the appeal to the vocal layers used on the first seventeen seconds of the album. Another album, another one with Reid complaining about the effects, right? Man, it just sounds awful. More like Charli Chipmunk. Songs like Crash, New Shapes, Constant Repeat, Move Me and Lightning are spoiled with vocal effects. Some are more tolerable than others but it’s frustrating when songs with her more natural sounding voice result in much better content.
After the song’s beginning, CRASH continues with the lyrics:
Overloading when I’m looking in the mirror, uh (Uh)
Feel myself, I’m looking way better than ever, uh (Uh)
Bruno Mars, anyone? Used To Know Me’s music is from 90’s tune, Show Me Love by Robin S and man, Yuck, reminds me of something I can’t quite put my finger on. I’m sure it’ll come to me as soon as this is published. These are just a few examples. Rinse and repeat.
CRASH has its moments but is overshadowed by two annoying things – overproduction and reproduction. It’s so prevalent in the industry, I shouldn’t be too harsh on Charli XCX but that’s what kept this from being memorable.
Overall Rating: 6.2/10
Favourite Song: Good Ones
ROZ
After taking a weeks rest to fend off my own personal bout of COVID-19, the brain fog finally lifts and I find myself ready to dive back into the world of Too Sweet Reviews. Charli XCX’s CRASH, her fifth studio album and my first listening experience (not counting her 2012 I Don’t Care collaboration with Icona Pop), is fresh off the press and ready for consumption. This is Ms. Aitchison’s self-proclaimed “Janet” album; big shoes to fill and a bold claim to make.
Manufacturing, by one definition, is the action or process of making goods systematically. CRASH is pop-star manufacturing personified, and it will stop at nothing until it succeeds. Spanning from the 1980’s to the 2010’s, the track list rains down a mix of stylings from Janet Jackson to Katy Perry and every pop femme fatale in between. Unashamedly, New Shapes sounds completely ripped out of Teenage Dream, Good Ones sounds like a diet version of Gaga’s Applause glued together with Eurythmics Sweet Dreams, and Used To Know Me sounds like every 90’s dance hit mixed into one. Please, please, put the Korg M1 down. Also stop dancing, me.
Which leads me to the big question: are there enjoyable moments? Of course. Beg For You is dynamic, fun, and full of energy while Yuck has me bouncing as much as the next Dua Lupia radio hit. Listen, this isn’t a moments review; it’s an album review. Aitchison has a great voice and does her job well but front to back, what is this album telling me? It’s telling me that Charli XCX should be a big pop star and she has an expensive team that is going to great lengths to make this a reality. Even when I attempt to turn to her songwriting to pull some true emotion or sincerity out of the album, I remind myself that Charli XCX’s CRASH has…thirty songwriters. Thirty people got together and wrote these songs. Now here I sit, shamefully bopping my head as the tracks play one after another. While there are moments of genuine enjoyment, I just can’t get behind the well-oiled machine that CRASH unfortunately is.
Overall Rating: 4.7/10
Favourite Song: Beg For You