Charli XCX has shared a candid essay on her Substack platform, offering fans an inside look at the “realities of being a pop star.” The reflection comes as she rides the success of her latest album, Brat, and explores both the exhilarating highs and the surreal lows of her career.
The Glamorous Highs and Strange Lows of Pop Stardom
In her essay, Charli highlights the undeniable perks of being a pop star. She mentions attending glamorous parties, receiving free gifts, and meeting fascinating people, including hearing unreleased tracks from friends like Addison Rae. The experience of performing, she admits, can make her feel like a “God,” especially when her music becomes the soundtrack to fans’ personal moments—breakups, recoveries, and everything in between.
However, the lifestyle also has its strange and disorienting side. Charli describes the feeling of being a “commodity in transit,” with travel often involving “strange and soulless liminal spaces” that drain the energy of constant movement.
The Personal Cost of Public Perception
Charli also takes a moment to reflect on the personal changes fame has brought. She contrasts who she was before fame with who she is now, noting that her old friends and family help keep her grounded amid the chaos of her career. In a revealing exchange with Swedish artist Yung Lean, he pointed out that while she remains the same, the “yes people” surrounding her often “blow smoke up her ass.”
Amid the pressure to be open and authentic, Charli argues that artists should not be expected to be role models. She embraces “hedonism, danger, and a sense of anti-establishment” as part of her identity, pushing back against conventional expectations. For Charli, the fantasy of performance and the thrill of creating drama and fun are what truly define the artist experience.
A Rare Glimpse Behind the Curtain
In this honest essay, Charli XCX offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the complexities of modern fame. Her reflection on the balance between incredible success and the surreal challenges of pop stardom gives fans a deeper understanding of the personal and professional realities she navigates.