The post-Brat era gets louder, messier, and way more chaotic
Charli XCX is stepping into a new era. And hold your horses guys because she is bringing distortion pedals with her. The pop star has released her latest single “Rock Music,” a track that arrived after months of teasing fans about her next move following the cultural storm of Brat.
What’s Up with the New Creative Direction?
The song first appeared during the Dare’s opening set for PinkPantheress in Brooklyn, before Charli officially dropped it online hours later. Produced alongside longtime collaborators A. G. Cook and Finn Keane, formerly known as EasyFun, “Rock Music” throws buzzing guitars and blown-out production into Charli’s club-pop universe.
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On the track, she oscillates between deadpan observations and the typical Charlie-chaotic-party energy, singing about taking pictures with friends, making art together, crying together, and embracing “real incestuous vibes.” It sounds intentionally scrappy and trashy but in a good way, like a warehouse party captured on a broken camcorder.
The release comes shortly after Charli shared behind-the-scenes footage from Paris’ Rue Boyer Studios, where she recorded the song in late 2025. In the caption, she joked that “Rock Music” is “not actually rock music,” poking fun at headlines calling her next chapter a “rock reinvention” after her recent British Vogue cover story.
Still, there is clearly a shift happening. In that same interview, Charli explained that she wanted to avoid making another straightforward dance album after Brat. Instead, she leaned into rougher textures and analogue-inspired sounds while keeping the music playful rather than overly macho.
What is Charlie Upto These Days?
Outside music, Charli’s film career keeps growing fast. She is set to appear in several upcoming projects, including I Want Your Sex and 100 Nights of Hero. Meanwhile, festival season is stacked with headline appearances at Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and Reading and Leeds Festivals later this year.
