'The Dance Floor Is Dead': Charli XCX Turns to Rock for Her 8th Album

Charli XCX has announced a new album, promising a departure from her signature sound. In an interview with British Vogue for its May issue, she stated, 'I think the dance floor is dead, so now we're making rock music.'

Charli rose to wider fame when she released her sixth album, Brat, in 2024. While she already had hits before, like 'Boom Clap' and 'Break the Rules', Brat further pushed her into the spotlight with tracks such as '360', 'Girl, so confusing', and 'Apple'.

The album earned her British Album of the Year at the Brit Awards, as well as two Grammys—Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Recording Package.

It also sparked a pop cultural movement called 'Brat Summer', as well as a mockumentary film, The Moment, which she both starred in and produced. But following that success, the singer said she wanted to take a different direction with her new album.

A Rock-Inspired Album

'If I'd made another album that felt more dance-leaning, it would have felt really hard, really sad," the singer told British Vogue. She also explained that her upcoming album is the reset she needed after the hype around 'Brat' grew far beyond the music.

'It made me crave something opposite. Getting back to something more internal is really nice and really sort of quiet, Charli said. 'For me, it's fun to flip the form. We know there's gonna be people who are bothered by it, but that's fine.'

Charli will be making her new album with longtime collaborators A. G. Cook and Finn Keane. Described as a 'rock reinvention', details about her next album remain limited, with no title or release date yet. But fans can expect that it will feature less of her signature Auto-Tune and more guitar.

Embracing New Roles

Beyond music, Charli has also stepped into acting. Following her A24 mockumentary film, she has taken on roles in several movies, including the thriller The Gallerist, the erotic comedy I Want Your Sex, and the horror movie Faces of Death.

Talking about acting, she shared with British Vogue, 'I feel so lucky to be on set with so many actors and directors I admire. I have a hunger to learn and understand how other people do it. I don't think I've ever felt like, "Wow, I killed that." I feel ready to do it 1,000 times if necessary.'

She added, 'You're not thinking one step ahead, or at least I'm not. It's a very impulsive state to be in. That can be terrifying but it can also unlock this instinct in you, and it's scary but it's kind of nice, like, f**k it. And maybe I'll fall on my face and humiliate myself but maybe I'll do something really powerful, and if you don't try, you never know.'