Charli XCX Shifts to Guitar-Driven Sound on New Album Music, Fashion, Film

Charli XCX has released her sixth studio album Music, Fashion, Film, a guitar-centric project created over several weeks that deliberately moves away from the dance-heavy sound that defined her breakthrough record Brat. The album comprises 11 short, guitar-based tracks that emerged unexpectedly after the singer had planned to step back from recording following an intensive year-long tour.

From Break to Studio

After completing the grueling touring schedule for Brat, Charli XCX had transitioned into other creative pursuits. She took on acting roles, composed the soundtrack for Emerald Fennel's adaptation of Wuthering Heights, and married her longtime partner George Daniel. However, rather than settling into a quieter period, creative inspiration struck unexpectedly, prompting her return to the studio. In a matter of weeks, she wrote 11 tracks that grapple with the turbulent reality of her previous two years in the spotlight.

The artist explicitly stated that creating another dance-leaning album would have felt emotionally draining. In communicating with fans, she stressed that "to be boring is to die right there on the spot," emphasizing her need to pursue artistically challenging directions. This determination to avoid repetition shaped the entire direction of the new project.

Guitar as Starting Point, Not Genre Declaration

Initial reception focused heavily on the single Rock Music, which features the lyric "I think the dancefloor is dead, so now we're making rock music." Major publications interpreted this as a wholesale reinvention toward rock, prompting backlash from industry figures including Courtney Love, who accused Charli of trolling, and Madonna, who suggested the problem lay with the music being played rather than the venue itself. However, both the artist and critical analysis clarify that guitars serve as the album's primary instrumental foundation rather than a genuine pivot to rock music. Even Rock Music itself remains anchored in electronic manipulation and vocal processing, avoiding traditional rock conventions.

The album's title references Charli's recent expansions beyond music, including acting projects and fashion collaborations. Yet the project maintains her signature approach of blending experimental sensibilities with accessible songwriting. Tracks like Guess, Apple, and 360 from Brat established her ability to create club-adjacent music with genuine depth; Music, Fashion, Film continues this trajectory through a different sonic lens.

Context and Cultural Weight

Brat achieved unprecedented cultural penetration for a contemporary pop album. The record inspired Collins English Dictionary to update its definition of "brat," acknowledging the term's use as an adjective describing music with a "confident, independent, and hedonistic attitude." The album was incorporated into Kamala Harris's 2024 presidential campaign, and the phrase "Brat summer" became a widespread cultural phenomenon. This level of saturation created significant pressure for any subsequent release, forcing questions about whether Charli could sustain momentum or whether following up would risk oversaturation and public backlash.

Music, Fashion, Film sidesteps these expectations through calculated unpredictability. The album is described as smart, self-referential, funny, and antagonistic—qualities that protect it from becoming a simple continuation of its predecessor. By choosing guitars over synthesizers and emphasizing introspection over dancefloor hedonism, Charli XCX has constructed a project that demands reassessment rather than mere comparison.