Finally, an album that you can blast in a turned-over car and not feel embarrassed if it was playing.
“Crash” is the latest album from renowned pop artist Charli XCX. She made a new name for herself with the release of “Pop 2” in 2017. Her last two albums, “Charli” and “How I’m Feeling Now,” delved further into the world of experimental and hyper pop, allowing her to develop a new voice.
“Crash” is a slight departure from her last couple of albums, but it’s so far one of the best pop albums to release this year. It’s compact, danceable and inexplicably catchy.
In this album, Charli XCX has turned to a more 80s inspired synth-pop aesthetic. But she fills these soundscapes so incredibly well that it seems like she plucked beats, rhythms and lyrics straight out of the decade.
Over the course of 33 minutes, Charli moves the listener through 12 tracks of tightly made pop songs. They’re filled with themes that echo from her previous albums. The songs contain lyrics pertaining to relationships, herself and compatibility. As per usual, she makes her songs sound sexy and tragic at the same time, sometimes depending on the song.
For the lyrical side, songs like “Constant Repeat” and “Every Rule” are rich with story and detail. “Constant Repeat” focuses on a missed opportunity, mostly for the guy that turned her away. She sings about how he could have had a bad girl like herself, and asks if he still has her on repeat in his head. “Every Rule” is about two people who break every rule to be with each other, even though they probably shouldn’t.
Along with these two songs, just about every song discusses similar themes. Songs like that include “Yuck,” “Lightning” and “New Shapes.” On the other hand, some of the other songs fit the bill as just incredible pop songs, the kind that you don’t mind the radio playing on repeat for several weeks.
Throughout these songs, Charli’s vocal performances match their respective songs. There’s not a bad performance anywhere on this album, which is true for her previous albums as well. Alongside her, the features fit perfectly within their songs. These include Christine and the Queens, Caroline Polachek and Rina Sawayama. In other words, the singing is incredible and matches the tone of the album exactly as it needs to.
As for the songs themselves, they are all incredibly catchy with groovy beats, pervasive rhythms and earworm synths. It captures the sound of the 80s so well, in fact, that it could almost be confused with a pop album from the time. Her ability to create dance-pop songs, along with slower love ballads and make it all work seamlessly, is nearly unmatched.
Another quality of these songs is that they are infinitely danceable. Whether it’s at a party or in the car by yourself, it’s nigh impossible that you won’t be moving your body along with the songs. Even in her experimental music, Charli XCX infused that within her music, this album just brings it to the forefront.
Every song on this album is fantastic. There are no skips and it’s immediately put on repeat as soon as it ends. That being said, the best songs include “New Shapes,” “Good Ones,” “Constant Repeat,” “Beg For You,” “Baby” and “Yuck.” Everyone might have different favorites — honestly, every song is a favorite for me — but these best capture the feeling of this album.
“Crash” is a phenomenal ode to the 80s synth-pop sound, while being an incredible work in its own right. It’s different from her last three albums, but it’s a showcase of her range and musical capabilities.
Charli XCX defined her voice within the music industry with her recent work. She has fundamentally changed what pop music can be, especially on the mainstream level. Those albums have become some of my favorites and most listened to of the past several years.
In that sense, she has mastered her sound and style, to the point where she doesn’t need to prove herself over and over again. Her confidence within her musical skills has put her in a position where she can make anything that she wants, and she’ll do it better than just about anyone. That’s what this album represents, and it’s incredible.
In that sense, it’s also a great introduction to her more experimental work. If you’ve been hesitant to listen to “Charli” or “How I’m Feeling Now,” then give this album a shot. It might help you to connect to those albums. It’s definitely one of the best Janet Jackson albums to not actually be made by her.
If I ever get into a car wreck, this would be an appropriate album to have playing. I’d like to be jamming out to “Yuck” as help arrives. Honestly, it could be so much worse otherwise.
