True Romance
Charli XCX
2013
Today we know the British pop star to be avant and hyper– existing in the unusual– however it’s this project that sounds her most “normal” to date despite its intense craving of trippy experimentation and bending old school rules.
Brit Pop/Dark Wave/Trip Hop
BY HARPSICHORD
JANUARY 30, 2024
When thinking of Charli XCX, a certain aesthetic comes to mind. Most audiences today view her as a hyperpop angel who gets on the most wonky, Windows desktop beats. But that’s actually not how she started out. Her debut sound, as exhibited on her first studio LP, True Romance captures her as a more straightforward pop artist. Of course during the time period where she released True Romance , her sound was viewed as alt-pop.
Named after a 1993 Quentin Tarantino-written film of the same name, True Romance finds her balancing darkness with a foray into bubbly pop music. It’s the type of edge one would expect the British new wave sound to go– laced with the grunge spirit of the 90s, but channeling the teen angst and cloudiness that’s present in soaps such as ‘Skins’ and ‘Degrassi.’
After creating a buzz in 2011– two years before True Romance saw the dawn of completion– Charli XCX not only became a poster child for the emerging scene of 2010’s alt-pop, but also Tumblr. If Tumblr albums were to be time-capsuled , True Romance would indeed be a part of that treasure trove.
The album starts with “Nuclear Seasons,” which in fact samples “Grins,” which appears in the middle of the project. “Let my car run out/Cars burn out/I won't scream or shout,” drags on Charli XCX– a nod to the idea of living fast and dying young. She’s not afraid of the thought, instead arguing “I want this forever” over a slow burning manifesto that’s enraptured by a man exhaling through a vapor of clouds. It builds up into a dream pop, synthy soundscape of merriment juxtaposed by industrial and new wave of the ‘80s.
The strongpoint of True Romance is the effervescent sass present from start to finish. Early in her career, Charli XCX proved that she could craft a world that only fits her artistically, while being relatable. “What I Like” became the breakout hit of the album – for how it captured VHS-filmed rebellion. It contains hints of trap, aligns with British pop&B, and features an adrenaline chorus about “undressing” through toxic sex. The kind that HBO has a history of glamorizing. On “You (Ha Ha Ha),” she’s literally laughing after saying “you lied.” There’s a balance of “You were old school, I was on the new sh*t,” as the production heavily relies on the repetitive, Indian-vibing, trippy, futurepop of 2010’s “You” by Gold Panda. And after giving a piece of her mind, what echoes the best is her blatant mention of “You f*cked it up!”
Much of True Romance is informed by punk and new wave (the “old school” as displayed lyrically in “You (Ha Ha Ha)”). There is the “don’t go to sleep” repeating constantly in “Take My Hand,” which exemplifies the work of David Bowie and Billy Joel engaging in Atari-coerced ragers. “Set Me Free (Feel My Pain)” exacerbates that even more, even giving hints of Depeche Mode’s 1990 LP, Violator . Her first single, “Stay Away,” which actually dropped in 2011, draws upon the moodiness of Roxette– simply revamped by the themes of modern Tumblr romances beaten out by a quadruple drum pattern.
There’s a sense that what Charli XCX captures on True Romance is witchiness and darkness. She often whispers her chant-like monologues, as present on the drama-filled “Set Me Free” which winds and turns in a tornado of despair. Talk-rapping is something else that takes centerstage, bringing about the idea of “I was on the new sh*t.” This all comes to a head on “So Far Away” which is the LP’s most trap&B-leaning record. It’s head-spinningly intoxicating with a beat sample of Paul White’s 2009 remix of Todd Rundgren singing “so long ago and so far away.” Based on the sample- which itself comes from Rundgren’s own psychedelic trips in the 1970’s– the song discusses the “poison” of staying committed to a cheater.
What makes True Romance a captivating project is how informed Charli XCX is about the history of niche music. Her direct usages of samples puts her in the class of the Plunderphonics genre of sampling recognizable music works of a certain scene.
Not only that, by the album’s conclusion, “You’re the One” not only contemplates forgiveness for the sake of the album’s storyline, but also channels the work of Siouxsie and the Banshees's 1991 single, “Kiss Them For Me.” A game changing song in itself, “Kiss Them For Me,” birthed a new wave of dark sounding commercial pop that relied on hip hop sampling and techniques, while inducing a trippy effect. When asked if that was a main source of inspiration, Charli XCX confirmed.
To date, True Romance is probably her most normal record. Even through all of the wonky sampling, it aligns with a sound of the time. It’s a catalyst that announced that a new experimenter was bound to remain in her own lane, with no signs of slowing down artistically.
“You (Ha Ha Ha)” for being spunky enough to sample and spin an already dope beat.
“So Far Away” for sounding the most confident in the sequencing.
“What I Like” for being a hypnotic single that channels the Tumblr-music aesthetic at its best.
“Grins” for its unmatched intensity, and also for kicking off the entire album.
Key Tracks
This is a stellar debut record where Charli XCX never let up from start to finish. Listeners are immediately drawn into the world of her production, and her vocal performance is just as convincing. Although this is an album that came from a certain era of music, it still plays as timeless more than a decade later– as the artist herself has seem to have gone on to other musical voyages.