Pop superstar Charli XCX recently premiered the music video to her track Beg For You, featuring Rina Sawayama. The single is one of three from her upcoming album CRASH. Featuring previous singles Good Ones and New Shapes, CRASH is her fifth and final album with Atlantic Records. The purely-pop album is out on March 18th and is creating lots of chatter with fans and critics.
Charli XCX and Rina Sawayama join a cult
Firstly, Charli seems to not be wasting any resources as her record deal comes to an end. Since the grave-dancing Good Ones music video, Charli has given us visuals with each new single. The New Shapes video shows features, Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, giving a late-night performance of the single with Charli. Now, we see Charli and Rina Sawayama in a cult for the Beg For You music video.
Overall, the video is very abstract. It is set in an open field with sparking electrical lines and a leather-suited devil. Directed by Nick Harwood (SOPHIE’s Its Ok To Cry) the video is almost reminiscent of Lady Gaga‘s 911 music video because of its left-field dancing and mysterious unknown figures. With a henchwoman and cult leader present, we find out that Charli and Rina are in fact members of this dancing cult. Perhaps, Charli is figuratively aiming for a cult classic with this September cover track.
Her letter to her fans
In addition to the music video, Charli posted a statement to Twitter commenting on her mental health. In it, she says “I’ve been grappling quite a lot with my mental health the past few months…” This, she says, is because of the criticism she is getting from her album roll-out. Further, she says she is noticing people mad at her for the songs she has chosen to release, and her overall approach to marketing this new era. “I’m really out here trying my best and working my ass off…” she says. Finally, she concludes by saying she is going to take some time off from Twitter.
As an icon for being an experimental popstar, Charli is finding out how change doesn’t always garner a positive response. While Charli is currently in the midst of her most commercial pop-forward era, that doesn’t mean she loses everything she is iconic for. Channeling the knowledge of her avant-garde past into fresh pop music is what will keep Charli as a name to remember. A never-changing sound will not.
