Charli XCX – Music, Fashion, Film (Album Review)

Charli XCX gets raw, witty, and absolutely unhinged on “Music, Fashion, Film.”

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TOP 5 SONGS

5. Card Declined

This song starts off feeling almost comedic before revealing something much deeper underneath.

Charli xcx paints the picture of someone ready to reinvent their entire life. New apartment. New wardrobe. New identity. A completely fresh start. Then reality interrupts everything with two simple words: card declined.

What begins as an ironic scenario slowly transforms into a meditation on identity, ambition, and the uncomfortable reality that money can’t always buy the version of yourself you’re chasing. The repetitive structure only strengthens the message, making every line land with a little more weight.

4. Rock Music

What an opener.

“Rock Music” throws you into the album headfirst with distorted guitars, explosive energy, and Charli’s signature wit. Personally, I love how loud, sarcastic, chaotic, and effortlessly cool the song sounds, creating an anthem that feels rebellious without doing too much.

More than anything, it immediately establishes the personality of the album. Charli isn’t interested in playing things safe here. She’s having fun, making jokes, embracing the chaos, and inviting listeners along for the ride. Even by the time I reached the final track, this opener was still stuck in my head.

3. Wink Wink

This song is completely ridiculous… and I mean that as the highest compliment.

From the opening lyrics, Charli immediately lets listeners know they’re in for something wildly entertaining. The humor is sharp, the delivery is effortless, and the entire song feels like she’s winking directly at the audience the whole time.

Lyrically, she lists all the little ways she’s supposedly matured and changed over the years, only to undercut every claim with a sly “wink wink” that suggests maybe she’s still exactly the same person underneath it all.

Few artists can balance comedy and self-reflection this naturally, but Charli absolutely nails it.

2. SS26

One of the album’s strongest moments.

Named after Spring/Summer 2026, “SS26” is thoughtful, brutally honest, and laced with Charli’s dry sense of humor. Sonically, it leans into softer alternative rock while allowing the lyrics to take center stage.

Charli reflects on her public image, her past decisions, and the expectations placed on her while also widening the lens to examine politics, culture, and the state of the world around her. It’s deeply personal but not self-indulgent, balancing vulnerability with sharp observations that only Charli could deliver.

1. I’m Afraid

The emotional centerpiece of the album.

Beginning with delicate acoustic instrumentation before gradually expanding into something fuller, “I’m Afraid” strips away Charli’s sarcasm and lets her vulnerability speak for itself.

She opens up about finding happiness with someone while simultaneously confronting the insecurities that relationship brings to the surface. It’s a deeply introspective song about fear, self-doubt, and questioning who you really are beneath the confidence you project to everyone else.

It’s one of the most honest songs on the record and easily one of my personal favorites.

SONG BY SONG RATING

1. Rock Music (4/5)

2. SS26 (4.5/5)

3. Card Declined (4/5)

4. Camera (4/5)

5. 2007 (3.5/5)

6. I’m Afraid (4.5/5)

7. Yeah (4/5)

8. Wink Wink (4/5)

9. Persona (4/5)

10. Magic Metal Montana (4/5)

11. No One Lasts Forever (4/5)

RGM RATING

(B+)

Music, Fashion, Film feels like Charli XCX ripping up the rulebook and having the time of her life doing it.

While her previous project leaned more heavily into emotional vulnerability and introspection, this album approaches those same feelings from an entirely different angle. Instead of sitting in the sadness, Charli filters everything through sarcasm, humor, irony, and fearless honesty. The result feels like reading someone’s diary after they’ve gone back through it years later and filled the margins with hilarious commentary.

Sonically, the album blends grungy alternative rock with pop melodies and flashes of electronic production. Some songs feel like they were pulled straight from the early 2000s alternative scene, while others embrace a sleek, modern edge. Despite the stylistic shifts, everything feels cohesive because Charli’s personality remains the constant thread tying the album together.

Lyrically, she’s at her absolute best. Whether she’s poking fun at herself, reflecting on fame, commenting on society, or exposing her deepest insecurities, every line feels deliberate. She has a way of making you laugh one second before quietly hitting you with something surprisingly profound the next.

This is an album full of contradictions in the best way possible. It’s messy but calculated. Vulnerable but confident. Funny but deeply reflective. It constantly keeps you guessing, and that’s exactly what makes it such an engaging listen.

I genuinely wasn’t expecting this to become one of my favorite releases of the week—maybe even the month—but Charli completely won me over. Music, Fashion, Film is bold, refreshingly unpredictable, and proof that some of the most compelling art comes from artists who aren’t afraid to laugh at themselves while telling the truth.

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