In a recently published personal essay on Substack, Charli XCX revealed her musings on pop stardom. She wrote about the weird and often liminal moments of being an international celebrity. Additionally, she wrote about the contradictory nature of the job, and much more. She also clarified how she prefers to identify her work in the unruly and unforgiving industry.
The public often sees Charli as a one-dimensional party girl pop star, and she addressed this in the piece. Because she does other things outside of music, she sees herself more as “a creative (gross)” or simply just “an artist.” But for the sake of the essay, she said, “I’m focusing purely on the realities of being a pop star because it was my original dream, because it’s the role in my life I have the most experience navigating and because it’s also the most ridiculous one.”
Ridiculous indeed. Charli gave readers a unique look behind the curtain at the glamorous, the absurd, and the embarrassing. But she also shared her perspective on how fame can change people, and how the industry has changed in itself.
“One of the main realities of being a pop star is that at a certain level, it’s really fucking fun,” Charli began. “You get to go to great parties in a black SUV and you can smoke cigarettes in the car and scream out of the sunroof and all that cliche shit.” She went on to describe meeting cool people, wearing expensive jewelry, and receiving “good free shit.”
Charli XCX Dives Into the Conflicting Realities of Being a Pop Star At Her Level
Continuing her essay, Charli XCX noted that, beyond fancy parties, being a pop star allows her to connect with her peers creatively. She wrote that she gets to share her opinions, lend an ear, or help her friends make decisions about their work. This, she wrote, “allows you to feel a part of [an] interconnected community of people you love and respect.”
Charli then wrote about “inhabiting strange and soulless liminal spaces.” She described these as “the holding area of the event you’re about to enter, the airport lounge, the visa office, the claustrophobic tour bus, the greenroom with no windows, the underneath of a stage or the set build of a photoshoot or music video you’re on.” Essentially, she wrote, “you are often caught in the in-between.”
She also brought up the fact that “some people are simply determined to prove that you are stupid.” Charli added, “I’ve always been completely fascinated by this and think it has something to do with self projection.”
Charli wrote about the boxes that pop stars and artists in general often find themselves forced into. From there, fans expect them not to deviate. If they step outside their box, public opinion often turns on them.
“I’ve always wondered why someone else’s success triggers such rage and anger in certain people,” Charli posited. “I think it probably all boils down to the fact that the patriarchal society we unfortunately live in has successfully brainwashed us all.” She added, “We are still trained to hate women, to hate ourselves and to be angry at women if they step out of the neat little box that public perception has put them in.”
Does Today’s Music Industry Rely Too Heavily on Moral Purity and Responsibility?
Concluding her essay, Charli XCX took a moment to comment on a lack of “hedonism” in the current industry. “[T]here is a level of expectation for you to be entirely truthful all the time,” she wrote. “Over recent years some people seem to have developed a connection between fame and moral responsibility that I’ve never really understood.”
She continued, “I want hedonism, danger and a sense of anti establishment to come along with my artists because when I was younger I wanted to escape through them. I don’t care if they tell the truth or lie or play a character or adopt a persona or fabricate entire scenarios and worlds. To me that’s the point, that’s the drama, that’s the fun, that’s the FANTASY.”
Substack has now become a new outlet for Charli XCX to share her thoughts and creative projects. Unexpectedly, she has given fans a rare look into how she approaches pop stardom. For Charli, it doesn’t seem to be that serious. Sure, she’s dedicated to her artistry, but everything else? It’s really not that deep.
Photo by Joseph Okpako/WireImage
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