In a wide-ranging sit-down on The Zane Lowe Show, Charli xcx opened up about the creative evolution behind her new album, Music, Fashion, Film, and life following the global impact of BRAT. Reflecting on her growth as a songwriter, Charli explained how each project pushes her deeper into her core identity. "The more you do it, the more you learn about yourself, the deeper you go," Charli xcx told Apple Music. "I think it is very honest, this album. And it's sort of me thinking about myself post the last album."
Navigating massive success brought new choices, but Charli chose not to replicate past successes. "When BRAT kind of became what it became, I knew I had this sort of crossroads situation," Charli xcx stated. "I could have doubled down and done it again. Or I could have used the sort of platform that I had... to go on and work in a slightly different way and collaborate with different people in different spheres. Musically, I'm OK with that because this is my life and I have to do what makes me happy and inspired."
Looking back at her career trajectory, she noted that achieving mainstream visibility without altering her artistic vision came as a revelation. "I had a hard time sort of imagining a world where I could get all of the things I wanted with little compromise," Charli xcx revealed. "I didn't compromise the music at all to kind of try and make it more appealing. I didn't compromise anything... I haven't really sacrificed any of my personality or myself to be in this position."
That refusal to compromise extends to her approach to writing hit records. "I'm not like a sort of pop off on the charts, like hit artist," Charli xcx admitted during the broadcast. "That's just, that's not my sort of direction when I make music... If it happens, awesome. I'm never gonna say no to that but that's not sort of what I'm like aiming for."
