The Album Essay of the Year: "Music Fashion Film" Review
- Timson Nguyen
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
By Timson Nguyen
Artist: Charli xcx
Genres: Alternative, Rock, Pop
Record Label: Atlantic
Music Fashion Film, Charli xcx’s eighth studio album, reads like a collegiate essay breaking down Charli’s relationship with art, fame, and people with anti-capitalist undertones in a post-Brat world.
Beginning her essay, “Rock Music” is the hook that reels you in, undermining your expectations. The obvious elephant in the room is that the song is a rock song — compared to the electronic/dance anthems we got two summers ago — with suggestive lyrics that question your tolerance, like “real incestuous vibes”. However, the genre switch doesn’t serve as the sonic hook that reels you in; it’s actually the overarching literary device that begins her critique of the music business model. Rock music was historically a tool for grassroots resistance against the status quo; think Riot grrrl or Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire”. By using rock music, Charli gives listeners a sample of what’s to come: Music that goes against the commercial momentum Brat built. After sampling the rock music served to us on a rusty silver platter, Charli reveals her thesis statement in “SS26” (coincidentally her second single of Music Fashion Film's rollout): If I keep playing by the rules of the world, whether it be trend chasing or deploying easy marketing strategies, it’ll all be futile as we’re “walking on a runway that goes straight to hell” and “Nothing’s going to save us, not music fashion or film”. So with that in mind, what saves artists in her position from these systems?
The three songs after “SS26” take the time to contextualize her thesis as Charli experiences how fast the world keeps evolving, from her rise to fame in “Card Declined” to technology and communication in “2007”. "Card Declined" is a parable about how fame, money, and material objects cannot substitute for happiness, a truly intangible and priceless feeling. Then, "2007" reminisces on how simple music discovery was before algorithms and social media metrics determined what songs become popular. However, amidst all the business and celebrity mind she has adapted to, she realizes she needs time to reflect on how fame and the music business are affecting her and her relationships in “I Keep Thinking Bout You” (the epilogue to “Card Declined”) and “Camera”.
The next quarter of the album intimately explores her relationship with herself, her fans, and the Brat era. “I’m Afraid” spirals into tormenting detail about her internal monologue. She battles her thought process, thinking it has to be in constant haywire to support her line of work as an artist. This unhealthy balance between personal and persona comes at the cost of her relationship with her husband, George Daniel of The 1975, and her mental health, yelling, “What if I ruin it? Take the ring, take the ring”. However, she comes to establish a boundary not only for herself, but with her fans in the next song, “Yeah,” to counteract this detriment to her mental health post-Brat. From the start of “Yeah,” Charli repeatedly chants, “I don’t wanna”. She continues this chant all the way to the climax, where she takes back her word and does it. Here, she talks about letting go of the Brat era and moving on to a new sound. Then, the second verse flips the script with Charli beginning to chant “you don’t wanna”. Here she sets a boundary: If you don’t like what I put out post-Brat, that’s up to you, but since the first half establishes that she let go of Brat, we don’t have to like it. For those who stayed all the way to the beat drop, we were rewarded with a “yea you wanna” and rock out with Charli to the second drop of the song.
“Wink Wink” sums up this body paragraph of Music Fashion Film with meta commentary on how she will be perceived post-Brat. The image listeners have of Charli in their head won’t be there going forward, but it’ll still be inside of her. However, not only does she criticize Brat-stuck fans, but she also criticizes the music industry, which only rewards mundane but profitable product (in a sense, she disarms the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality). Just because Brat was profitable and established a visual brand for her (which is heavily sought after in today’s music world), it doesn’t mean it’s true to her mission as an artist. In my words, organizations and companies have integrity NOW!
“Persona” and “Magic Metal Montana” reveal more about Charli’s experience as an “employee” of the music industry. From having colleagues who will see you as a competitor first and co-worker second to genuine teammates who help you navigate the inauthenticity and toxicity of work, these two tracks can be seen as a critique of how business influences workplace dynamics. However, and most importantly for this album, she’s grateful for both parties as they passively and actively motivate her to become a better artist and person.
Finally, Music Fashion Film beautifully wraps up in “No One Lasts Forever,” where she closes the chapter of Brat and acknowledges how her past eras from How I’m Feeling Now to Crash shaped her into who she is today. Specifically, how closing these eras shaped her. While nothing lasts forever, the experiences and friends who unconditionally support her are what count. Music, Fashion, and Film won’t save us all, but the people will, whether it be her partner, colleagues, friends, and fans.
] Ultimately, while this album may be sonically underwhelming compared to what fans may expect, the role the production plays in supporting her lyrics, her inspiration, and my anti-capitalist theory is calculated and intrinsically a full-circle moment. Before electronic music served as today’s modern resistance music, rock music was the first in its place. Not only did Charli subvert the expectations of the status quo, but she challenged herself creatively, thoughtfully, and thematically. Music Fashion Film serves as another cohesive and unexpectedly anecdotal-forward album that stands artistically alongside How I’m Feeling Now and Brat. In the long run, I foresee it being a rough gem that won’t get mainstream appreciation, but that’s kind of the point.
Score: 8.2 |
You can read more from live reactions to a more in-depth review of Charli xcx's "Music Fashion Film" on my Notion page, Timson's Sound.
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