Charli xcx - Music, Fashion, Film
Pop Rock – Released July 24, 2026 – 11 songs, 30 mins
ROZ
I was wrong. There, I said it - and I’m happy to admit fault in this situation. Back in 2022, the TSR crew reviewed Charli xcx’s studio album CRASH, and to say I was unimpressed may be an understatement. It was at this point where I told myself that this young woman was all hype, an industry plant, a manufactured superstar, you name it and I was thinking it. Thankfully, Too Sweet Reviews is an entity that allows for retribution and for defiance - and boy was I ever defied. Charli’s sixth studio album brat came out in the summer of 2024, which not only exploded into a worldwide phenomenon but also blew me clear out of the water and up into outer space. As I circled Orion’s Belt, I was able to muster enough breath in my body to declare Brat my #2 album of the year, clear above other artistic goliaths such as Fontaines D.C., MJ Lenderman, Jamie xx and The Smile. If you put a gun to my head back in those CRASH days, I would have never been able to come to terms with this news. Two years have passed since my comeuppance, and fresh off scoring a film the talented pop star is back with her eighth studio album Music, Fashion, Film.
One can only begin to dream of the seemingly impossible task of drudging forward after having what might be the biggest viral hit in modern music – brat summer. A critical and financial success, it’s no wonder that Charli went on the record stating that she was struggling with inspiration and was generally exhausted from it all. Bigger artists have crumbled for less, and just about anyone in her position would have wrapped it up or milked it until she graced her very last stage. Luckily, the creative process of doing Wuthering Heights seemingly lit a fire under her, which then evolved into what eventually became Music, Fashion, Film. To me, it’s this connection between arts and what it can do for the artist that makes me sit for a moment and think about how amazing it all truly is. This evolution is apparent in the form M, F, F’s sonic makeup; that being, a pop album disguised as a rock album, disguised as an electronic album. And while electronic rock has been done many times already (think Daft Punk or Justice), Charli, A.G. Cook and Finn Keanne take great care to ensure that this record they have made is unequivocally and definitively their own.
It’s here in my review where I simply cannot travel any further until I completely gush over Cook’s skills in the kitchen. This man has put his stamp on the music industry through his own works, his collaborative works, and of course his record label PC music which has jumpstarted many careers. His efforts popularized - if not created – the hyperpop genre which has completely taken over the pop music scene and can be felt across multiple categories of subgenres. Cook truly is a revolutionary when it comes to electronic music and he deserves an equal amount of credit when it comes to the success of Charli’s discography. Additionally, cutting back on the amount of people in the room by only bringing in Keane must also be a testament to the trio’s cohesiveness and bond. What I love most about the soundscapes across M, F, F is the subtleties in the stereo space; Cook turns the dial down so that elements are introduced tastefully and only kept if it serves what the track is trying to do. Autotune is used tastefully, stutter and glitch effects are used effectively, and signature sounds that populated brat and brat’s remix album are used only when needed.
Now, it wouldn’t be an AG Cook record without leaning into the experimental. The standout technique used on many tracks is in how guitar recordings are used – rather than recording and arranging normal guitar playing, instead they are fed into a sampler and then chopped, sliced and reversed to create a unique timbre that simple guitar playing just does not allow. This effect is especially utilized on Camera, Wink Wink and No One Lasts Forever (which has a trippy but insightful clip from the great director David Croenberg). The album stays on the higher energy side of the spectrum for most of the time, however more laid-back arrangements and somber tones can be found on songs such as I’m Afraid and Magic Metal Montana. At the end of the day, the best recipe for a great pop album is equal parts production and lyricism; catchy hooks, tight drums, and a simple melody that resonates and sticks. It only becomes more impressive when you consider that this pop album was made by a three-person team, whereas pop has typically and historically been a group effort with the personnel sometimes reaching the high double digits. You won’t find any of that nonsense here, just quality talent churning out quality work.
Lyrically, Charli nails the exact vibe that a fan would hope for after she’s achieved such a great deal of success in one singular summer. She hits the nail firmly on the head by proclaiming that the “dancefloor is dead” on Rock Music, which is surely a reflection of how eager she was to move away from the genre that got her so much attention (ironically, this song is one of the least “rock” sounding songs of the bunch). If I could describe it in one word, it would be self-awareness – Charli understands where her career has taken her and, on this album, she deconstructs her feelings and reflects on her life concisely and with a catchy pop sheen that makes it all work so well. On SS26 she acknowledges the impact that brat had, not only on the music scene but also in mainstream media and politics; the power of brat summer is indeed not lost on her. 2007 serves as a reflective piece where nostalgia comes into play along with the power of social media as well as the journey she has undertaken to get where she is today. Her insecurities are on full display during I’m Afraid, a departure from the pop-oriented stylings of all the tracks before it as it explores Charli’s insecurities and fears when it comes to her marriage to the 1975 drummer George Daniel. Camera explores Charli’s openness to venturing into other creative mediums (in this case, working in films) while Magic Metal Montana serves as a (very platonic) love letter to her beloved producer A.G., a gesture that holds extra weight after the tragic and untimely death of her good friend and collaborator SOPHIE back in 2021. A stark reminder that life is short, moments are fleeting and telling your friends you love them is vital. A powerful message that means more than ever in this day and age.
Charli xcx has done the impossible; she has found a way to escape her brat-shaped shadow while at the same time explore new ground. A.G. Cook and Finn Keanne ensure that this vision is fully realized by injecting a perfect amount of her signature sound into an addictive, unique pop-rock effort.
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Favourite Song: Camera
REID
Two summers ago, Charli had her career defining moment with the release of brat (2024). Seven albums into a career of hard work, determination and shear will, she fought and clawed her way to the top of the music world. She headlined the festivals, appeared on the TV shows and sat comfortably atop or near the top of most 2024 album of year charts. Put yourself in her shoes for a minute. After realizing that much success, what do you do next? Do you double down on the sound that got you there? Many have and it’s hard to fault them with that approach. That’s not what Charli did.
Followers of this blog know it’s run by Radiohead fans and should be used to references to the band by now. Well, here’s another…
Ok Computer (1997) was the third studio album from the UK group. At the time, it was heralded as being ahead of its time and marked a significant step in their trajectory. To this day it’s widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. They followed it up three years later with Kid A (2000) and surprised everyone by completely changing their sound from guitar-centric to electronic. The band chose their own artistic growth over fan expectations, which has become a theme in recent weeks. The initial shock and disappointment morphed to admiration and reverence.
After fighting for so long to get to the top, charli chose a similar route on Music, Fashion, Film as she pivoted from the high-energy electronics of its predecessor to a more gritty, guitar-heavy soundscape.
Now let’s reel it back in a little. MFF is still very much in her lane in that the rock infusion is used in a way to bring people to the dance floor. And it does exactly that. The very cohesive eleven tracks over thirty minutes is as good an example as any as having a true album feel. It switches from catchy, choppy guitar chords to synth hooks and is produced to perfection by A.G. Cook and Finn Keanne. We typically shy away from this term as a descriptor but it is undeniably fun and it more than balances the scales when evaluating its weaknesses.
The lyrical side of the majority MFF leaves much to be desired. It feels exceedingly repetitive, especially on repeat listens and can get to a point of mind-numbing, if you don’t put a stop to it. But it’s all by design. Charli uses humour and sarcasm to further cement her compelling personality. Yeah uses the same two or three phrases repetitively as the music builds to an excellent pay-off. It reminds me of blur’s Song 2. No one cares if he got his head checked, we’re all here for the WOO HOO.
Charli xcx has work to do to live up to the impact of John Cale (Music), Marc Jacobs (Fashion) and Martin Scorcese (Film) in their respective professions. But that doesn’t happen overnight. Her continued push for growth during the prime of her career strengthens her influence and expands her longevity. MFF is a solid add to her catalog.
Overall Rating: 8.3/10
Favourite Song: Yeah
LUNDI
For as long as I can remember, I’ve clamoured for a true female pop star to deliver a rock, or at least rock adjacent, album. The explosion in both the popularity and quantity of art pop has certainly suppressed that desire, but this week feels like the first time a headline level female pop star has truly taken the plunge. Even if it’s electronically concocted and filled with hyperpop influences, Charli xcx’s Music, Fashion, Film is a foray into uncharted musical territory, one that lands with fantastic highs and some unfortunate lows.
AG Cook and Charli xcx may not be as synonymous a pairing as Billie Eilish and Finneas, but the duo have been together for arguably all of the pop star’s biggest moments. Now that Charli has become a bona fide superstar, Cook has received his flowers as well. Funny how that happens, but regardless, it’s extremely well deserved. On Music, Fashion, Film, Cook doesn’t just elevate Charli’s music, he’s the album’s most consistent highlight. Across 30 minutes, he crafts a barrage of explosive electronic rock production. Blending sampling with his own intricate sound design, the sonic landscape constantly delivers. Everything feels grand, energetic, and perfectly suited to Charli’s larger than life persona. The music world needs more AG Cook, but that’s all I’ll say about him, as I’m certain the lads above have already gushed over his excellence.
Now let’s shift the focus to Charli herself, the good being first up. As a long time fan, it’s refreshing to hear her natural voice take centre stage. Best known for heavily processing what she has often described as her “terrible voice,” she instead allows herself moments of vulnerability here, and the results only amplify the album’s emotional peaks as much of the record explores the personal struggles that accompanied her meteoric rise from cult favourite to pop phenomenon. It’s very much a grass isn’t always greener reflection on life after Brat. Rock Music, Camera, and Persona rank among the finest songs she’s ever written and deserve to become permanent fixtures in her live set. Meanwhile, the deeply emotional No One Lasts Forever feels destined to see David Cronenberg soundtrack Charli’s exit from the stage for years to come. Throughout the album, Charli makes excellent use of Cook’s production while delivering some of the most emotionally direct songwriting of her career.
Unfortunately, this album also feels a little half baked from a conceptual standpoint. Despite several memorable hooks, nearly a handful of tracks are plagued by repetitive lyrics and underwritten ideas, as though there was an eagerness to get the album out the door and create distance from the Brat phenomenon. Card Declined barely attempts to write a verse, Yeah features an atrocious excuse for lyricism, Wink Wink lands as more cheesy than funny, and while I respect the intention behind the Sophie inspired AG Cook tribute Magic Metal Montana, it feels completely out of place within the album’s broader intention. Perhaps these songs will reveal more charm over time as I gain some distance from review week replay fatigue, but for now I’ve found myself skipping all four on most listens. That simply doesn’t happen with great albums.
Music, Fashion, Film sees Charli xcx pivot confidently into yet another genre, further cementing herself as both a generational superstar and one of modern pop’s most adventurous artists. While the album undoubtedly has its flaws, its willingness to embrace a new sonic identity feels like another important step in an already remarkable artistic evolution. Even if it falls short of greatness, its impact on Charli’s career is overwhelmingly positive.
Overall Rating: 7.7/10
Favourite Song: Persona