NEW ALBUM: CHARLI XCX | CRASH

Charli XCX is back and has dropped her new studio album titled "Crash," which will be supported by an extensive North American and European tour. "Crash" marks the end of a five-album deal Charli signed with Atlantic when she was 16, a 13-year engagement that has often seemed more trouble than it was worth but new music has finally arrived. The record kicks in with thumping drums as Charli sings how it “ended all so legendary” over twinkling synths on the opening title track. The nostalgic pop influences quickly seep in, further highlighted by its guitar-solo finale. Elsewhere, previously released singles, such as the iconic Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens featuring "New Shapes" and the "September" sampling Rina Sawayama collab "Beg For You," shine brightly, while the pounding and anthemic "Good Ones" stands as one of the best from Charli’s back-catalogue. The dramatic "Move Me" and "Lightning" reinvent what pop and dance ballads should be, while "Constant Repeat" is a refreshing slice of pure pop that shimmers Dynamic strings open up the sleek, sexy bop "Baby" and "Every Rule" explores falling in love under tricky circumstances over dreamy synths. "Used To Know Me" is a dance-floor ready club-pop number during infectious earworm. "Crash" may be closing a chapter for Charli, but it is in no way a swan song. Instead, she again explores new ventures, crafting a pop album that celebrates the old classics and the contemporary, cements her status as a true pop trailblazer.