Review: Fall in Love with Charli XCX’s ‘True Romance’

If it were possible to see sound, then Charli XCX’s highly anticipated debut album True Romance would probably look like the aftermath of a glittery collision between the casts of Party Monster, Jawbreaker, and The Craft. Most of the tracks on True Romance, along with those on her previous EP’s and mixtapes, are reminiscent of late 90’s and 00’s pop, but they’re also much darker, weirder, and more experimental. They’re drenched in all of the traditional love themes –– deep infatuation, being blissfully in love, breaking up, getting over said breakups, etc. –– but her crafty, honest, and oftentimes supernatural-sounding lyrics truly set her apart from her influences.

Most of the tracks on True Romance had previously been released, at least in part, on You’re The One (EP), her mix tapes Heartbreaks And Earthquakes and Super Ultra, or as singles in the last few weeks, but nothing on True Romance sounds outdated. Rather, it’s refreshing to finally hear them all together on a single album, especially after waiting for what seemed like forever. The album opens with the Pitchfork-favorite “Nuclear Seasons,” and then goes into “You (ha ha ha)” where she sing/raps about an ex-boyfriend over a sampling of Gold Panda’s “You.”

“Take My Hand” is the first new song that appears on the album, and it’s a contagiously energetic electro-pop track that talks about wanting to stay up late and dance and fly after taking ecstasy, which is a pretty ballsy thing for a young, aspiring pop star to sing about. After Pitchfork’s other favorite “Stay Away” comes “Set Me Free,” the next new one, and it’s quite a bit tamer in terms of both the music and lyrics, but still contains that very distinct, dreamy vibe of hers. The same can be said about “Grins” and “Lock You Up,” which first appeared on Heartbreaks And Earthquakes.

 

“Cloud Aura” features a verse by everybody’s favorite stripper-turned-rapper Brooke Candy, and seems like one of those tracks that you would either love or hate, as it sort of teeters on pop and faux hip hop. “What I Like” is definitely one of the catchiest tracks on the album, and while it remains constant with the whole dark-pop ambiance, it also contains some awesome lyrics that possess the sort of nostalgia that automatically bring you back to the days of being young and in love. Particularly, when she sings about “husband and wife shit” and “sitting on your bedroom floor still smoking,” it’s rather easy to recall the days of when falling for someone was blind and careless, and it seemed as though it was so good, it might actually last forever. And the thought of such hazy yet vivid memories definitely adds to the overall dream-like feel of the album in its entirety.

With its name taken from the 1993 film about a dark yet colorful and dramatized relationship, True Romance definitely lives up to its name by generously packing its 13 songs with wide-ranging emotions and sentiments. Admittedly, Charli XCX created each song from the memories of her past relationships, which isn’t all that surprising since most of the feelings she explores in her lyrics seem so honest and real. And luckily for us, all of her heartbreaks, experiences, and “nuclear seasons,” in combination with her knack for fantastical metaphors and dreamy lyrics, make for some truly enchanting song material.

 

by Nicole Woszczyna