Charli XCX Unleashes Electric Energy with New Single 'Rock Music'

As its title suggests, "Rock Music" sees Charli switch gears, crank up the amps, and rock out with electric guitars.

Charli XCX is diving headfirst into a year of experimentation. With the release of “Rock Music,” the British singer, songwriter, and producer embraces a new sound, complete with amplified guitars.

One of those amps meets its demise in the official music video. Directed by Aidan Zamiri and filmed in black and white, the video showcases Charli engaging in quintessential rock 'n' roll behavior: confidently navigating downtown Manhattan in daring attire, smoking, and igniting a mosh pit.

Musically, “Rock Music” possesses a nostalgic feel, its guitar riff integrated into a mid-tempo electronic framework where Charli manipulates her vocals in the chorus. While not overtly "heavy," the track leans more towards Daft Punk than Deep Purple.

Charli initially hinted at this new direction in an April interview with British Vogue, revealing the lyric: “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.”

She elaborated, “if I’d made another album that felt more dance-leaning, it would have felt really hard, really sad. That’s interesting for me is to bend the possibilities of what my perspective on that could be.”

Charli has since clarified that this single doesn't necessarily signal a complete transformation for her upcoming eighth album. In a recent Instagram post, she shared a studio clip, stating, “a video of me making a song called ‘rock music’ that is not actually rock music which is funny because i never said i was making a rock album.”

“Rock Music” marks Charli's first release since the Wuthering Heights companion album in February, which reached No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. Her 2024 album, Brat, achieved significant success, topping the Official U.K. Albums Chart and ARIA Chart while capturing the cultural zeitgeist.

This year, Charli is also venturing into acting with a lead role in A24’s The Moment, a project based on her original concept and the inaugural co-production from her studio365 venture. Additionally, she will appear in Daniel Goldhaber’s remake of the cult horror film Faces of Death, Greg Araki’s erotic thriller I Want Your Sex, Cathy Yan’s independent film The Gallerist, Julia Jackman’s period fantasy 100 Nights Of Hero, Romain Gavras’ satirical action Sacrifice, and Pete Ohs’ intimate drama Erupcja.

Stream “Rock Music” below and watch the official music video.

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