CHARLI XCX - ANDY'S TOP 40 SONGS
10. What I Like (from True Romance)
An OG favorite of mine! This has always remained a top favorite of mine from Charli and more than earns its spot in my top 10. It's incredibly fun! The chorus is ridiculously catchy. The verses are bubblegum singalong fun. I love the beat, with the cymbals throughout the verses (the talk-singing is fun there too), then the pre-chorus slows down and her auto-tune is on full force. The second verse towards the end is my favorite part: "This shit is super wild, this shit is super cool, this shit is kinda gangster, I think I'm into you..." Yeah, this is just effervescent Charli at her best!
9. Cross You Out - feat. Sky Ferreira (from Charli)
Ooh, this one's a fun one for me. It's no secret I am a huuuuuuuuge Sky Ferreira fan. Sky Ferreira fans are ALWAYS thirsty for any new music we can get from her, so I was eagerly anticipating this song. When it came out, I was a tad....whelmed. Like, Sky felt a little underutilized to me. I then proceeded to listen to it like twenty times in a row because new Sky music...and then I became obsessed and it is now one of my favorites from Charli. There's a lot going on musically here. Suuuuper deep bass, industrial beats with sparkling 80s synths and metallic instrumental sounds in the background all combine to make a really consistent, hard hitting sound that stays pretty even throughout the song. Combine that with Charli's almost angsty vocal performance and Sky's hushed, reserved turn here....it's a lot to digest. And I mean that in the best way possible. Of course, it's all anchored by a really strong chorus that sticks in your head and STAYS THERE for HOURS. Yeah, this is a special track.
8. Unlock It - feat. Kim Petras and Jay Park (from Pop 2)
Another instant favorite of mine. In another world this would be a huge radio hit, I mean this is extremely accessible but still oh so Charli. The chorus is super infectious. It's bubblegum to the core. The features both do their thing here - Kim is more memorable in Click imo but she still shines here. I know a lot of people don't like Jay Park's verse here but imo it adds a much needed masculine dimension to the song that I think fleshes it out even further. At the end of the day....this is just incredibly catchy. A perfect song to drive to or to play while out with your friends. And the outro is great, the song ends gracefully. Love this!
7. 7 years (from how i'm feeling now)
FLAWLESS song. I mean, this is soooooo ridiculously catchy. I know I say that about all of my favorite Charli songs but this one just sticks in your head and STAYS there. "I know that look inside my eyes screams ALWAYS...even if we fall apart split TWO WAYS...." it just hits in all the right places. The lyrics are adorable. The melody is all over the place in the best way possible. it's like candy to the ears. And again, like all the best Charli songs, the ending is fantastic. The production on this whole album was super impressive and this is easily one of the standouts.
6. Take My Hand (from True Romance)
This song is like Grins, in that it transports me to another place every time I hear it. It reminds me of those college nights where you go to like 8 house parties in one night and it's just a beautiful, chaotic blur from a very specific time in your life. Incredibly upbeat, catchy, and fun, but there's this melancholy and nostalgic undercurrent that makes this song stand out to me. I think my favorite part of the whole song, besides the chaotic beat and instrumentals, is the second verse where she's basically talking over a distorter of some sort. That juxtaposed with the really melodic parts of the rest of the song makes this really unique and memorable imo. This has rivaled my top 5 for sure, and there was definitely a point where this was my #1 Charli song...but yeah here it lands at #6.
5. forever (from how i'm feeling now)
Whew, what a song. I can see this finding its way to #1 for me eventually...there's a lot going on. The almost under-produced verses lead into a really emotionally resonant chorus with the very simple phrase "I will always love you...I'll love you forever." And then the song progresses from there and does like 1000 different things during its 4 minute run time. The song ultimately progresses into a GORGEOUS and climactic outro, full of swirling synths and other instrumentals, all punctuated by a singular message "you'll stay on the front of my mind." This song is a journey, that's for sure. And it's done so brilliantly. Definitely one of Charli's finest songs.
4. Track 10 (from Pop 2)
Wow, what to even say about this song. Another song that could easily be #1 for me. This is one of the weirdest pop songs I've heard, but make no mistake - this is pop perfection. Is it catchy? Parts of it are. Is it memorable? 100%. Like forever, Charli does like 500 different things in this song and it somehow all comes together to make a cohesive masterpiece. The angelic vocals in the background, the distorted organ-like instruments, the slow build up from the start that builds into Charli screaming in autotune. It's all so good. My favorite part is in the beginning of the climax where she sings "Sorry I blaaaaaaaame it on your love..." and then everything just stops for a bit with the babbling baby noises, turning into the Bjork-esque synthesized strings or whatever. It's so good! And then the real climax at the end is perfect. Ugh, now I'm just kind of rambling. Anyways, this song imo is a perfect representation of Charli's artistry and I want to see her making more songs like this.....whatever this is. This is so much better than the Lizzo rework from Charli, sorry not sorry.
3. Next Level Charli (from Charli)
I remember I was stoned when I first heard this song. My mind was absolutely blown. This is a really short song and is totally meant as an intro for this album....but imo it is the greatest part of the album, and one of Charli's finest songs to date. I know she said that this song is an anthem dedicated to her fans, and I can see what she means by this. This is fan service to the max - a total bop that is meant for blasting in the speakers of your car while driving around town. It starts at an 100 and ends at an 100. It's 2 minutes and 37 seconds of pure bliss tbh. If you're annoyed with the kind of music Charli makes, chances are you will probably NOT like this song. But if you're already a fan of Charli XCX, you will probably love this song. It's euphoric, fun, catchy, immediate, in your face, pure ecstasy imo. It's a fleeting slice of pop heaven.
2. Stay Away (from True Romance)
Absolutely gorgeous song on so many levels. It's pretty dark but still very pop. First, I think the lyrics here are among her best. Pretty straightforward story about a relationship that was doomed from the start, but she went through with it anyway. And now that it's over, she wants to keep the person AND the memories as far away from her as possible. There's a really dark, gothy, 80s/early 90s feel to the music and production that compliments these lyrics perfectly. Like this is one of those songs that could have come out in 1987 and topped the charts for weeks. Her vocal delivery here is really strong, I like that (compared to many of her other songs) the autotune is relatively minimal and tasteful. That's not to say there isn't autotune, but that's always been Charli's brand. The verses are haunting, chorus is beautiful, and the bridge ties things up nicely... but the post-chorus steals the show (when she's yelling out STAY AWAY! STAY AWAY!). Yeah, this has always consistently stayed at the top of my list of favorite Charli songs and it would have been number one if she hadn't have slayed with her new album! Which leads me to #1....
1. party 4 u (from how i'm feeling now)
This is peak Charli. This represents her music thus far perfectly imo. Lyrically, this is quintessential Charli. It's about her throwing a huge party, but doing it all just so one person will show up for her. It's super tragic and also romantic, which is totally my thing. It's kind of upbeat? But it's also super nostalgic sounding and quite sad, with the sparse production in parts (at the beginning) fitting the vibe. And like all the best Charli songs, party 4 u has the most epic build-up...but unlike, say, Track 10 or forever, the climax is super short lived and drops back to the slower pace that the song started out with after less than a minute. Honestly this song should have closed out the album because it has that feeling of being at the end of a really long night, getting drunk and going out and being sad. It's kind of ironic that this song is off of her album that was produced during quarantine - it, again, feels like a song you play after a night out. But I think that's what makes the song so magical imo, it captures that feeling of longing and loneliness that accompanies night time. But it's still got that euphoric feeling. Idk, I'm rambling again. I just think this is a really well-produced song and I knew after the first time I heard it that it would be one of my favorite songs by her. And it quickly became my number one!!! My favorite part would definitely have to be the climax/bridge when she sings "All I'm thinking, all I know, is that I hope you knock on my door, nervous energy, my heart rate rises higher and higher yeah...." but the second verse also slays when she sings "you could watch me pull up on your body like it's summer, take my clothes off in the water, splash around and get you blessed like holy water..." she spits those words out so quickly! Uhh ok I'm done! Yay Charli!
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Party 4 U -
Stay Away -
Next Level Charli -
Track 10 -
Forever -
Take My Hand -
7 Years -
Unlock It -
Cross You Out -
What I Like -
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