How I’m Feeling Now by Charli XCX | Album Review

The British pop icon's fifth album combines the best of pop songwriting and hyperpop eccentricity into a scintillating sonic spectacle.

Credit: Jed Skrzypczak, Atlantic Recording Corporation, Asylum Records

Charli XCX is an artist I have a lot of mixed feelings about.

She is undoubtedly an incredibly talented singer and songwriter, as well as a meme queen extraordinaire with a fabulous online presence. I’m also a big fan of hyperpop, particularly the work of the late great producer SOPHIE (RIP), so I really valued her collaborations with SOPHIE and embrace of that hyper-artificial sound.

Unfortunately, her last album, Crash, pulled all of that back, leaning more into a synth and dance-pop sound that was very of the moment.

Considering she’s got a new album out now, I wanted to go back in time and dive deeper into the wild and eclectic P.C. Music sound that earned her so much acclaim from fans and critics alike. Hence, we’re talking about her 2020 album How I’m Feeling Now.

Charli opens this record perfectly with the short and snappy “Pink Diamond,” which sees Charli in her trademark posh party girl persona, delivering rapid-fire bars with unlimited swagger. I particularly love how the production constantly evolves throughout this two-minute song, becoming more colorful and left-field as it continues, and never repeating a sonic idea twice.

Later, “C2.0” follows a formula similar to “Pink Diamond,” with ever-changing instrumentals underneath an oft-repeated vocal motif. This time, though, it’s mixed up with a mid-song beat switch, built on Charli’s layered vocals and fluttering synth lines. It’s a remarkably sophisticated blend of unconventional and traditional beauty in sound.

We also get more straightforward pop song structures with a hyperpop twist, like on “Forever.” Charli packs one of her catchiest melodies into this track, and the more consistent production still evolves and modulates underneath her voice as the song continues. I also love her lyrics on this one, a simple, direct, universally relatable declaration to a former partner:

I didn’t wanna leave you low
Drove the car off the road
I hope you get some time to grow
You’re not a ghost, you’re in my head
I will always love you
I’ll love you forever
Even when we’re not together.

“Anthems” also follows the typical pop song formula, but I love how hard the production goes underneath. Deep bass tones and searing synth chords heighten and deepen an already fantastically written tune, and Charli’s vocal performance on this track is one of her boldest.

If I had to find fault with this LP, it’s that not every song meets the very high standard set by these highlights. Take “Enemy,” for instance. It's a solid pop song in its own right, but by this album's standards, it’s far too basic and one-note.

And then there’s “Party 4 U,” which only succeeds in mildly annoying me with how long it lasts, at nearly five minutes, and how much it repeats its refrain in that time. The double-edged sword of hyperpop is that when it doesn’t land, it’s not just bland; it’s irritating, and this proves that.

But the closing track, “Visions,” displays in vivid splendor the potential of hyperpop when it’s done right. We get yet another sparkling pop melody to begin this song. By the mid-point, all of a sudden, we’ve broken into a high-octane homage to the most intense dance music of the 21st century, mixed in a rainbow blaze of chaos before slowly disintegrating until all that’s left is the pounding bass, like we’re standing outside the club as the sun rises.

It’s just killer work all around from Charli and her team, and I hope her latest album brings her back to this spectacular strain of electronic music.

Production: 9/10

Lyrics: 6/10

Songwriting: 8/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Favorites: Pink Diamond, Anthems, Visions

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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Leave a comment with your thoughts, and I’ll see you in the next review!