Praise be! Last Friday marked the release of untouchable pop artiste Charli XCX’s third mixtape Number 1 Angel and, after a weekend of debauchery soundtracked by said mixtape, I think it’s about time I threw in my two cents on why this is such an important release in the world of pop.
Apols in advance this is titled and reads like a Buzzfeed article!
1. The PC Music sweet spot
For a couple of years now PC Music has steadily been infiltrating the mainstream: the mysterious Sophie worked on Madonna’s deliciously trashy Bitch I’m Madonna, while Danny L Harle teamed up with Carly Slay Jepsen for the effervescent Supernatural. However, Charli has been one of the only mainstream pop artists to fully embrace the PC Music sound. Number 1 Angel feels like the perfect crossover moment where current pop trends collide with PC Music’s plastic, electro-experimentalism. Trendsetting? This is pop of the future.
2. Girl Power
Starrah, Raye, MØ, Uffie, Abra, cupcakKe…
…you only have to read the featured artists on Number 1 Angel to understand Charli’s love and support for innovative and daring females in music. This guest lineup showcases female talent past, present and future, celebrating ladies in music who’ve firmly carved out their own lanes. From start to finish, Number 1 Angel presents us with a real sense of authentic female collaboration in the name of great pop music.
3. E•MO•TION
No, sadly the world wasn’t quite ready for a Jeppo and XCX collab (although, note the pic below!!) but one thing the pair do share is an ability to shape brilliant pop songs around the emotional highs and lows of L.O.V.E. While Number 1 Angel is laden with club-ready bops it also shows off Charli’s softer side, pairing dynamic pop production with lyrics that feel like they’ve been beamed straight from the XCX diary.
4. Lipgloss. Lipgloss. Lipgloss.
5-STAR. HI-NRG. ACID CANDY POP PERFECTION.
Oh, and cupcakKe.
5. “XCX, Charli!”
Remember when Missy proclaimed “This is a Missy Elliott exclusive” or Jason cried “Jason De-rulooo”!? Charli has now adopted her very own tag line and, you know what, it works. 5 out of the 10 tracks on Number 1 Angel feature the “eh-eh-XCX” or “XCX, Charli” tags, announcing the arrival of brand Charli: popstar supreme.
Check out the mastery of Number 1 Angel for yourself and let me know what you think:
The Pop Scribe 