Charli XCX has not been using quarantine to catch up on self-care, break out the watercolours or start baking bread (unlike every other 20-something on Instagram). Rather, she’s been buckling down for a steady diet of live streams (yes, we’ve seen Charli workout now) and DJ sets, playing for both queer Zoom party @clubquarantine and for an Instagram Live on Grindr’s official page.
Clearly not a fan of boredom, it comes as no surprise then that she’s decided to use her time in lockdown to crack on with her next musical project. As announced on 6 April to a limited audience of 1000 on Zoom, and later via videos on her official Twitter and Instagram pages, the alt-pop princess is releasing her fourth album on 15 May.
But it’s not just any Charli XCX album. Instead, it’s going to be made in just five weeks and represents a return to her DIY roots. “I’m going to use this isolation time to make a brand new album from scratch,” explained Charli in the Zoom call. “I’m only going to be able to use the tools I have at my fingertips to create all music, all artwork, all videos… everything—in that sense, it’ll be very DIY”
In the Zoom chat, she also explained that fans will have an opportunity to get involved on the record. “I’m going to set up an email address so that fans or anyone can send me beats or references,” she said. “In that sense, it will be extremely collaborative because anybody who wants to be involved can explore their creativity alongside mine.”
Charli stans…now is your time to shine!