CHARLI XCX: BIRMINGHAM, UK
Charli xcx
at BP Pulse Live in Birmingham, UK
by Claire Hodgkins
“Don’t play with me Birmingham, I’m Charli XCX. bitch!” the pop icon commands as euphoria unfolds.
With the year drawing to a close, you may have thought that the embodiment of a Brat summer is well and truly behind us. A cascade of fluorescent green on approach to BP Pulse Live however, suggests otherwise. Fans arrive in their masses; cocktails and sunglasses in their grasp, all eagerly anticipating the evening ahead. Since the release of her sixth studio album, turned phenomenon, Charli has found herself the topic on everyone’s lips and tonight’s performance more than confirms why.
Moments before taking the stage, ‘Immaterial’ by the late SOPHIE, blares through the speakers and cascades through the arena - a heartfelt nod to Charli’s close friend and inspiration. A string of choreographed flashing lights introduces the singer to the stage, who opens with ‘365’ against the iconic Brat cover-donning backdrop. Tour opener Shygirl reappears on stage for their collaborative remix party track. Tearing down the backdrop herself, Charli launches into fan favourite ‘Von Dutch’ where she utilises and explores the full scale of her impressive stage setup. Camera man in tow, Charli departs the stage, walks underneath it and to a be-fumbled crowd, appears within the runway’s cage-like infrastructure. Performing directly to the live feed cameras, Charli transforms the 15,000 capacity room into a sweat fuelled warehouse rave.
With a discography flooded with hits, the crowd are spoilt with back to back anthems. Remix versions of ‘Girl, so confusing’ and Guess have their rightful spots on the setlist, featuring verses from Lorde and Billie Eilish. Admist the high intensity numbers there’s a place in the show for a breather with ‘So I’, which serves another emotional nod to SOPHIE. As the set approaches its finale, the B-stage becomes a giant shower with Charli frolicking around whilst growing increasingly wetter by the second. Soaking wet, she launches into number one collaborative smash hit ‘I Love It’, the perfect track to round off the evening. Since its release in 2012, Charli has grown exponentially and the track is testament to her ever increasing rise to pop stardom. Brat has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon and those that get it, are strapped in and enjoying the ride.