Charli xcx’s “Music, Fashion, Film Tour” is a literal representation of its title, showcasing the artist’s music, fashion sense, and film-inspired performance. At her September 14th show at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Charli xcx performed 29 songs, including all 11 tracks from her new album Music, Fashion, Film, as well as two unreleased B-sides. The concert featured multiple costume changes, flashy runway sequences, and a confetti cannon that launched Charli xcx-branded panties into the air during the performance of “Guess”.
Music, Fashion, and Film
The tour’s presentation is almost incongruous with the themes on Charli xcx’s album, which focus on the artistic process rather than the completed product. The “Music, Fashion, Film Tour” leaves behind Charli’s usual impulsiveness in favor of a more refined spectacle, positioning her current era against the rich pop traditions she’s inherited. The show features a full band performing faithful renditions of the new songs, providing a fun nod to the album’s meta themes.
The tour also includes pyrotechnics, with flame cannons, fireworks, and a large blaze at the foot of the stage during the performance of “I’m Afraid”. The use of pyro adds a sense of drama to the performance, establishing that this is a version of Charli xcx that leans into more visceral spectacle instead of sleek minimalism. The show’s cinematic movement and Charli’s performance for the camera also add to the overall sense of drama and spectacle.
A Pop Show
Given the sparse, club-centric aesthetic of her Brat-era shows, it tracks that Charli — now firmly in pop’s A-list — would scale up her production. The heavy weight of the ideas explored in Music, Fashion, Film is rendered light via minimalist arrangements and tinny timbres on the record, but that’s a challenging tension to reflect in an arena tour. Charli also feels an obligation to deliver a pristine, capital-P Pop Show, no matter how much she dissects the machine behind it.
The old songs, including those from Brat, now stand in for the chaotic, post-pop lineage that brought Charli to this moment. “Track 10” and “Vroom Vroom” have become the centerpieces of her back catalogue, with the former being Charli’s most complete fusion of raw emotion within the refined framework of a Top 40 pop song. The latter is so in tune with the current sound of pop that it’s genuinely remarkable that it came out 11 years ago.
A Singular Persona
The other older tracks also help put Charli’s journey in perspective, with the vocal contrast between surprise song “Next Level Charli” and newer cuts like “SS26” being jarring. Charli has quietly developed into one of the most commandingly precise vocalists in modern pop, with the ability to turn her bratty sneer on and off to make way for either sincerity or chaos. This helps root the shows in her singular persona, with her signature catchphrase “It’s Charli, baby” being a reminder that she is, and has always been, an unmistakable pop auteur.
The final tableau offered on the “Music, Fashion, Film Tour” is a lasting image, with Charli, her dancers, and her band frozen in a clump as David Cronenberg’s voiceover tells us, “They are dead, they are gone, nothing lasts forever, oblivion is freedom”. The illusion dissolves, the lights flicker and die out, and Charli and her crew remain frozen, making for a surreal and completely on-her-own-terms exit.
Charli xcx’s “Music, Fashion, Film Tour” is a must-see for fans of the artist, with its unique blend of music, fashion, and film. The show’s spectacle and drama are a testament to Charli’s growth as an artist and her ability to deliver a pristine Pop Show. With her unmistakable persona and precise vocals, Charli xcx is an artist who continues to push the boundaries of what pop music can be.
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