Charli XCX reveals shocking fear behind Grammy-winning album

Pop rebel Charli XCX has confessed she feared her now-iconic album Brat would be her last. 

The 32-year-old hitmaker revealed she genuinely believed the 2024 record, which went on to define an entire “Brat Summer” and scoop multiple Grammys and BRIT Awards, might get her dropped by her label.

Speaking on Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop podcast, Charli said: “I actually made this record being like, ‘OK, I’m just going to do this one for me. 

Maybe I’m going to get dropped by my label and that’s fine.’ That was kind of the headspace I was in.”

But far from being a career-ender, Brat became a cultural phenomenon, influencing politics, fashion, and social media.

Now, the Apple singer is ready to pivot again. “I like to work in contrast,” she teased. 

“Whatever I do next will inherently be different to Brat. I’ve been exploring a lot with strings lately, which I’m really enjoying.”

Charli also believes pop is entering a bold new era. 

Speaking to i-D magazine, she said: “It feels like niche artists — like me, Troye [Sivan], and Chappell [Roan] — are finally being rewarded. A lot of our music is part of queer culture, and that’s super cool.”

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