For Charli, the British Charli XCX - who has been in the US for a number of years now - has put her danceable bubble gum pop in the refrigerator. That takes some getting used to, because compared to (2013) and (2015) on this album the tempo is considerably reduced and the hit sensitivity is almost completely eliminated. Take, for example, the dark synth duet Cross You Out with or the electropop
… song Warm with beneath the surface . Songs like 1999 (with ) and Blame It On Your Love (with ) have the most danceable undertone and Shake It (with , and ) is even aggressive. Nevertheless, Charli XCX deliberately keeps the majority free from a lot of frivolity, because she reveals herself here. It is not without reason that she is almost naked on the album cover and named the album after herself. On this album she discusses her fears, rejections and dealing with intimacy. The guest artists are important links in this, because they support Charli in her story. (JvQ)more