10 best Charli XCX songs that redefined pop

Whether you're an old-school fan or just entering the neon-drenched, constantly morphing soundscape that is Charli XCX's universe, you're in for a bumpy ride. Charlotte Emma Aitchison has made her own path in contemporary pop, not by imitating trends, but by deconstructing them and remaking them on her own terms.

Charli XCX's skill at writing catchy hooks is rivalled only by the emotional depth she infuses into her lyrics, frequently tackling love, identity, and the mayhem of youth with irony, candor, and panache. Charli XCX doesn't merely dabble in various genres; she detonates them, combining experimentalism with pop sensibilities in an unafraid manner.

Charli XCX's collaborations with genre-benders such as SOPHIE and A.G. Cook only add to her futuristic look, though whoever is in the room, her vision is always at the forefront. In an otherwise pop landscape that tends to play it safe, Charli XCX excels at living on the edge.

What distinguishes Charli XCX is the refusal to be contained, creative or otherwise. One minute, she's pouring out manic, glitch-ridden anthems that sound stolen directly from the next century, and the next minute, she's laying her flaws bare on tender, painful, stripped-down ballads.

There is a crafted quality to mess in her creative expression, an adherence to a process of maintaining space for mess amidst precision so that her sound may be unstable as well as hyper-intimate. Charli XCX's voice isn't merely a sonic exploration; she's working to translate the emotional extremes of modern life, from the heights of euphoria to existential dread, and all the stops in between.

In a market that often obsesses over shine, Charli XCX's insistence on keeping it real with raw, genre-bending sounds keeps her ahead of the pack and makes her one of pop's most compelling voices.

Disclaimer: This article contains the writer's opinion. The reader's discretion is advised!

Here are the top 10 Charli XCX songs that redefined pop

Here are Charli XCX's top 10 songs that remade pop, a tribute to her bold creativity and unwillingness to play by the genre's book. These singles aren't catchy; they have actually defined modern pop's future by breaking the sound barriers and taking emotional highs and lows.

From the glossy mayhem to the heartfelt simplicity, this list of every song by Charli XCX presents some new aspect of her creative side. Whatever she's doling out, whether it's sci-fi futurist club bangers or emotional confessional ballads, her albums consistently push the boundaries and leave behind a map of what pop sounds like when it's not reluctant to change.

1) Boom Clap

Boom Clap (2014) marked a turning point for Charli XCX, this was the song that saw her hit the main charts and, for all, the port of entry for listening to her pop chops. Tricked-out off The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack and on album Sucker, the track was when that sheeny, Tumblr-era pop was all en vogue. Its sparkling synths and soaring chorus captured the euphoric rush of young love, making it an instant anthem of the mid-2010s.

Though its polished electropop sound feels worlds away from the raw, experimental edge of her later work, Boom Clap was a foundational step in Charli XCX's evolution, proof that she could dominate the charts without compromising her knack for crafting emotionally charged, hook-heavy songs.

2) 1999

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan's collaboration on 1999 (2018) is a love letter to the late '90s, going big-throttle with intentionally drenched retro sheen and tongue-in-cheek nostalgia. Unlike other songs that reference the past subtly, this one goes the whole distance back, from its throwback-designed single cover to its sneaky references in the lyrics. The beat pulses with a dash of Europop vitality, the ideal echo of its time and period.

Troye Sivan and Charli XCX Performs At The OVO Arena Wembley - Source: Getty

Visually, the music video commits fully to the time-capsule concept, with Charli XCX and Troye playing the parts of pop culture figures of the time, re-imagining scenes from Titanic and The Matrix, and even appropriating the Spice Girls and a turtleneck-clad Steve Jobs. It's not just a nostalgia exercise; it's a glossy, hyper-styled re-creation of a cultural moment, built for the streaming age.

3) Next Level Charli

Kicking off the Charli album with an adrenaline rush, Next Level Charli (2019) sets the tone for what's to come: a high-energy, club-danceable single that feels like an open invite to an all-night rave. Co-produced by experimental pop prodigy A.G. Cook, the track pulsates with otherworldly rhythms and an air of collective ecstasy.

Rather than the personal feelings or experiences of Charli herself, she gives a stark sonic portrait of her fans clubbing, dancing, and losing themselves before one of her shows or simply in their daily lives. It's a rare Charli moment of stepping aside and allowing the culture she's built to have its say, turning the opener into both a party anthem and a love letter to the community with which she's surrounding herself.

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The song serves as a bridge between Charli XCX's past and future, proving that while she’s constantly evolving, her appreciation for her fans remains steadfast.

4) Girl, So Confusing feat. Lorde

When Girl So Confusing (2024) was released on Charli XCX's BRAT album, fans were left wondering who the enigmatic woman she sings about is. The song relates a complicated, tense relationship between Charli XCX and another woman, examining the complexities of women in music. The melodrama was increased when a remix featuring Lorde was released, affirming her as the other woman and casting more shadows of intrigue over the song.

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The remix, which had its catchy dance beat and thumping bass, became a hit almost immediately both for the defiant lyrics and the unmistakable melody. Live performances of the song by Charli XCX and Lorde only added to it as a highlight, the two on stage exuding chemistry that made the song one of the greatest duets in both their careers.

5) Forever

Created in the thick of global uncertainty, how i'm feeling now isn't just another Charli XCX album; it’s a deeply personal, experimental response to isolation, crafted in real time during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the heart of this project lies Forever (2020), a track that distills the conflicting emotions of that moment with striking clarity.

Instead of demonstrating love as idealized or romantic, Charli XCX embodies its more nuanced manifestations: the desire for someone intensely and yet the desire to be alone. It's a struggle of closeness over loneliness, a fitting mirror of how most humans were during lockdown: emotionally open but physically distant, starved for other human beings but deprived of solitude.

The song itself, lived-in, glitchy, and raw-sounding, is fraught with urgency and vulnerability, like the song is being performed in real time.

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There's relief in its repetition, in the off-distorted, slightly strained vocals that sound like they're bouncing off hollow walls, and the tension that never quite relieves itself. The noise of forever today is not merely nostalgic; it's a look back at an odd, paused instant when our emotions vibrated in silence.

With its minimal but emotive soundscape, Charli XCX didn't merely record the lockdown; she sang a collective emotional color, making personal contemplation into common memory.

6) Speed Drive

Speed Drive (2023) isn't just a standout from the Barbie soundtrack; it’s the glitter-fueled adrenaline shot that captures the film’s chaotic, confident energy in under two minutes. Charli XCX channels a turbo-charged, hyper-feminine power that feels like Barbie with a lead foot and zero patience for nonsense.

Bursting with attitude and slick production, the track blends playful nostalgia, borrowing from Toni Basil’s Mickey and Robyn’s Cobrastyle, with Charli XCX's signature edge. It's noisy, it's quick, it's outrageously bold, and it won't be asking permission. If any song yells pink leather, high-speed glamour, and sheer domination, this is the one.

7) Talk Talk

Talk Talk (2024), a more playful track from the album, is a welcome relief from BRAT's heavier moments, adopting breezy synth-pop and Eurodance textures with an aura of easy, effortless fun. The result of early chemistry between Charli XCX and George Daniel, before the two were actually a couple, the song embodies that fizzy, slightly fumbly excitement of being on it and overthinking every line.

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It's fun, addictive, and emotionally compelling without taking itself too seriously. The BRAT remix version takes the song further, with Troye Sivan sounding great in a reimagined rendition that feels like an addendum to the story, bringing a new dynamic without sacrificing the original charm.

8) Apple

Even though Apple (2024) never was a lead contender on BRAT, its cultural moment soon snowballed, something partly facilitated by a hit TikTok dance, which turned it into an underdog fan favorite. Its appeal soon went further than expected, even getting Charli XCX a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Solo Performance. Beneath its gilded production and club-friendly beat lies a rich surprise: a treatment of inherited pain and the aftereffect of intergenerational trauma.

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The Apple is a biting, symbolic nod to her own family background, hidden beneath euphoric melodies and tongue-in-cheek lyricism. It's a perfect example of Charli XCX's art at concealing emotional depth within pop's most playful disguises, turning introspection into something you can dance to.

Whether by design or instinct, this combination of humor, vulnerability, and self-awareness is what makes Charli's songwriting so sharply resonant.

9) Vroom Vroom

When Vroom Vroom (2020) appeared, it did not merely turn heads; it shook expectations. With its gritty beats and mechanical pop pandemonium, the song represented a gutsy left turn for Charli , marking the beginning of her plunge into hyperpop space. Produced in collaboration with the late great producer SOPHIE, the song was first polarizing, confounding some and electrifying others with its adventurous sound design.

With time, however, it evolved from a novelty to a cult hit, loved for its unapologetic vibe and futuristic vibe. At its heart, Vroom Vroom is not merely about speedy cars and all-nighters; it's a fearless celebration of self-love, power, and femme power, revving with confidence and swag.

10) Track 10

Wrapping up her influential 2018 mixtape Pop 2, Track 10 is one of Charli's most daring and emotionally intense works. Although it would reappear in more radio-ready form as a remix, Blame It On Your Love with Lizzo, the original, is a fan cult classic for its own raw openness and experimental production.

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Made with hyperpop innovators SOPHIE and A.G. Cook, the track builds gradually into a euphoric, chaotic climax that captures the emotional disarray of heartbreak through warped synths and fragmented vocals.

While it may not have climbed the charts, its impact was felt deeply in the pop underground, and its inclusion in Charli's 2024 tour proves it’s lost none of its power or relevance.

Charli XCX's songs are not merely pop songs; they're fearless statements of what pop can sound like when deconstructed of convention and injected with raw emotion, digital anarchy, and unvarnished truth. Whether she's making break-up anthems over wonky synths or serving up euphoric, club-friendly hits, her music embodies the ups and downs of being young, messy, and alive in the age of the internet.

Each song sounds like a look to the future but is grounded in profoundly human emotions. By reconceiving the pop sound, Charli hasn't merely expanded borders; she's built a universe of her own, and invited us all to get lost in it.