Charli XCX has hinted that her upcoming new album is a dance record and that it goes back to her roots in club music.
Recently, the musician previewed her new song ‘Von Dutch’ with a 20-second snippet on social media. The song is likely to be the first single released from her upcoming sixth studio album, details of which are yet to be announced. Her last album was 2022’s ‘Crash’.
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, the musician gave some more information about her new record, saying it was the one she had “always” wanted to make and that it is rooted in her love of club music.
She wrote: “i was born to make dance music…i came from the clubs..xcx6 is the album i’ve always wanted to make.”
i was born to make dance music.. i came from the clubs.. xcx6 is the album i’ve always wanted to make.
— Charli (@charli_xcx) February 24, 2024
It comes after Charli’s latest appearance at Boiler Room this week (February 22) which saw her play ‘Von Dutch’ in full and preview several new songs.
The pop star announced the news about her Boiler Room return on social media earlier this month, revealing that A.G. Cook, George Daniel (The 1975) and Easyfun were all set to join.
Charli last performed for Boiler Room in 2020, where she live streamed her first live performance of the pandemic-inspired album ‘How I’m Feeling Now‘. In a review of that Boiler Room livestream, NME wrote: “That crown might not be hers but, despite this show’s flaws, she’s clearly still the queen of all things partying. We’re counting down the days til we don’t have to rely on a stable server to reap the benefits of that.”
Her latest appearance, which took place in a warehouse in Bushwick, New York, saw artists including Doss and Easyfun perform before Charli played a set that included her classic hits like ‘Vroom Vroom’, as well as new song ‘Von Dutch’ and some new unreleased songs including ‘Get Into It (Spring Breakers)’.
Other performers on the night included Julia Fox and Addison Rae. A.G. Cook appeared, as did Charli’s fiancé, The 1975’s George Daniel.
Charli XCX previews her upcoming single, “Von Dutch” at her Boiler Room set. pic.twitter.com/98fJfKn2lR
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) February 23, 2024
Charli also reportedly played her recent tribute to SOPHIE at the event. In January 2021, the highly influential DJ and producer SOPHIE died at the age of 34 in a tragic accident in Athens.
Charli and SOPHIE worked together on many projects, beginning in 2015 with the former’s ‘Vroom Vroom’ EP. They went on to collaborate on the singles ‘After the Afterparty’, ‘No Angel’, and ‘Girls Night Out’, as well as the ‘Number 1 Angel’ tracks ‘Roll With Me’ and ‘Lipgloss’, and ‘Pop 2’ track ‘Out of My Head’.
As confirmed in a new interview with The Face, a track on Charli’s upcoming album explores her grief over the loss of SOPHIE.
“There was a lot of distance between us because I was in awe of her and wanted to impress her,” she said in the interview.
“She believed in me in ways that I didn’t believe [in] myself. But I felt like I would never be interesting enough to operate in her world outside of the studio, which was the safe space where we could connect and bond over music.”
“I didn’t feel like I was magical enough for this unbelievably magic person. And that makes me ashamed now I don’t have the opportunity to experience that anymore, because she’s gone. I feel ashamed for being a coward. It’s hard to write about. I’m sad for myself that I didn’t experience all this person had to offer.”
After SOPHIE’s death, Charli posted a personal tribute, writing: “It’s really hard for me to sum up the special connection I felt with such an amazing person who completely changed my life.”