Bright, complex and unafraid to reference her pop predecessors, English singer-songwriter Charli XCX’s fifth studio album “CRASH” is both an anthological review of pop music and a peek into its future.
Critics of the genre frequently dismiss the artistry that goes into creating a pop album with the tired “rockism” argument that pop is inauthentic and inferior to other genres, according to an April 17, 2015 Washington Post article.
Charli XCX cheekily retorted to her naysayers in a Sunday Instagram post wearing a cute pink crop top which read, “They don’t build statues of critics.”
Charli also said in an April 16, 2021 tweet that numerous pop powerhouses from the ‘80s, ‘90s and early 2000s era of pop music and a few contemporary artists inspired her new album.
This list includes Janet Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, Taylor Dayne, Rick James, Charlie Puth and Sophie.
The raven-haired artist kneels atop a car with a trail of blood streaming down her face and is wearing nothing but a black bikini on the album cover.
Although Charli is exposed to the world and wounded in the image, her eyes express a self-assured power.
Her arms are stretched towards the cracked windshield as she gazes into the car as if she is getting ready to claw through the glass with her black stiletto nails.
The title track “Crash” is an electrifying introduction to the album and features a classic Janet Jackson snare drum that can be heard in songs by the artist including “Control.”
“I’m about to crash into the water, Gonna take you with me,” Charli sings in a robotic cadence that breaks up almost every other syllable. “I’m high voltage, self-destructive.”
In this eclectic blend of pop’s future and past, the tracks “Lighting,” “Good Ones,” “New Shapes” and “Every Rule” all share an analog synthesizer sound.
“Lighting” is by far the best of the five ‘80s-inspired songs because it masterfully combines the vintage analog synthesizer sound with Charli’s lyrics about being infatuated with a new lover.
Charli sings lyrics including “Heartbreak already hit me once, they say that it won’t happen twice,” as the music fades around her voice which is modified by a vocoder.
A vocoder is a function on a synth, where an artist can input their voice in the machine, and the synth will change the frequency of the artist’s voice, making it sound robotic.
Charli’s vocals give a bone-chilling effect reminiscent of Daft Punk 2001 song “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” sound.
“Lighting” was co-written by Rami Yacoub, whose accolades include co-writing “ Hit Me Baby One More Time” for Britney Spears, according to the November 11, 2015 Billboard article.
“Beg For You,” featuring British-Japanese pop singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama, was produced with a sample of “Cry For You” by Swedish Europop artist September, and is the first single on the album to give listeners the early 2000s pop sound.
“Beg For You” plays into the overall album’s themes of love and power and what it feels like to lose control.
“You’re like an ocean breeze, coming and going just as you please,” Sawayama sings. “Separated by a degree, hesitating, I’ll lose you so far out of reach.”
Despite the song’s irresistible flow and excellent use of high-hat drum beats, it’s one of the weaker tracks on the album.
With a high energy sample like “Cry For You,” the producers did the song a disservice by slowing it down to an almost ballad-like level when it had the potential to be a club anthem.
Charli redeems this misstep later with the track “Used To Know Me,” which features a sample of the ‘90s house classic “Show Me Love” by American singer-songwriter Robin.
Charli said in her Spotify album preview that this song was her returning to her most recognizable style of songwriting.
“My kind of ‘Boom Clap,’ ‘Fancy’ style,” Charli said. “Where the chorus feels anthemic, a little bit shouty and essentially just a party anthem.”
On the track “Used To Know Me,” Charli understood the assignment, period.
The song has an infectious beat that can transform any room into a dimly-lit club, where the sweat of strangers is dripping down the walls.
This certified club banger tells the story of a person freed from a toxic, controlling partner and gives vibes similar to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper.
“Held me back, tied me up inside a cage. Had to change my life ‘cause I knew you’d stay the same,” Charli sings in the song.
I prefer Charli when she creates fast-paced pop hits, but when she sings a ballad I am in emotional shambles.
“Move Me” and “Every Rule” are two ballads that take different approaches to the pop- album staple.
“Move Me” is a slow, trap-adjacent ballad that has ethereal qualities.
The hairs on my neck stood up when the music fades out and Charli cries “Something ‘bout the way you hold my body tight even on my lowest nights.”
“Every Rule,” featuring British music producer A.G Cook, is a more traditional approach to a ballad and is ‘80s-inspired with synths layered throughout the song.
Overall, this album is brilliant and is one of Charli’s best albums yet.
Even though it’s a departure from her hyperpop era, which truly kept my sanity intact during the pandemic, “CRASH” carries on the experimental torch of her previous albums.
In the words of Randy Jackson from American Idol, “It’s a yes from me, dawg.” 4/5
