Not another ‘Brat Summer’: Charli xcx steps into a new, grittier era with her guitar-heavy project, ‘Music, Fashion, Film,’ out tomorrow

Charli xcx is moving past her Brat era with the release of her new project, Music, Fashion, Film, arriving tomorrow. After a period of massive visibility following her previous record, the singer chose to pivot into a grittier, guitar-heavy sound that contrasts with the club-ready energy of her past work.

Produced by A.G. Cook and Finn Keane, the project was captured in Paris during a hectic fashion week. This environment allowed Charli to lean into the chaotic atmosphere that she finds productive for her creative process. While some listeners point to the distorted guitars on lead singles as evidence of a rock pivot, Charli clarifies that she does not view her work through the lens of traditional genre labels.

The project features an iconic black-and-white cover photograph by Aidan Zamiri, showing John Cale, Marc Jacobs, and Martin Scorsese in a kitchen. This grouping serves as a deliberate visual marker for the three pillars mentioned in the title. For Charli, bringing these three figures together was a rare experience, grounded in their personal impact on her career rather than a calculated marketing move.

Throughout this new era, Charli remains focused on personal longevity rather than dissecting lyrics for public consumption. She has stepped back from social media to preserve her mental health, noting that constant online scrutiny became physically taxing. This shift marks a move toward privacy and away from the public-facing persona that characterized her earlier success.

Music, Fashion, Film signals a rejection of repetitive creative cycles. By prioritizing contrast over consistency, Charli aims to keep her artistic output unpredictable. The record stands as a firm statement that she prefers moving forward into new sonic territory rather than returning to the aesthetic of past projects.