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Charli XCX Releases “Rock Music,” Says Dancefloor Is Dead

5/8/2026

28 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Charli XCX Rocks

Charli XCX released the single “Rock Music,” the first track from her untitled album, and said in a British Vogue interview that the dancefloor is dead, so she is making rock music.
The song mixes distorted guitars reminiscent of Hole’s “Celebrity Skin” with an electronic vocal cut-off.
Aidan Zamiri directed the video, which swaps Charli’s bright Brat aesthetic for a darker leather-jacket look and keeps the track pop-styled and tongue-in-cheek.

Summary

Charli XCX Stars

Charli XCX is starring in Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex,” Takashi Miike’s horror project with Milly Alcock, and Julia Jackman’s “100 Nights of Hero.”
Earlier this year she headlined the mockumentary “The Moment,” which dramatizes the Brat album launch.
She appears in Pete Ohs’ remake of “Faces of Death,” co-wrote the “Mother Mary” soundtrack with Jack Antonoff, and contributed to Emerald Fennell’s “Wuthering Heights” companion album.

Summary

Charli XCX Releases

Charli XCX released “Rock Music” on May 8, 2026 with a two-look beauty campaign.
Makeup artist Raoul Alejandre created a glossy-lip, taupe-shadow look and oil-slick eyes.
Hairstylist Matt Benns styled messy party hair and a pulled-back ponytail for the video.
Benns said the hair should feel historic, touched and danced in, reinforcing a raw rocker aesthetic opposite Charli’s polished Brat look.

History

Historical Context

Charli XCX’s 2026 single “Rock Music” swaps her Brat-pop sound for distorted guitars, echoing a 1990s trend where pop singers turned to alternative rock. In 1995 Alanis Morissette’s album Jagged Little Pill, propelled by “You Oughta Know,” sold 33 million copies worldwide, topped the Billboard 200 for twelve weeks and won three Grammys in 1996, proving that rock-infused pop could dominate mainstream charts.

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Charli XCX Rocks

Charli XCX released the single “Rock Music,” the first track from her untitled album, and said in a British Vogue interview that the dancefloor is dead, so she is making rock music.
The song mixes distorted guitars reminiscent of Hole’s “Celebrity Skin” with an electronic vocal cut-off.
Aidan Zamiri directed the video, which swaps Charli’s bright Brat aesthetic for a darker leather-jacket look and keeps the track pop-styled and tongue-in-cheek.

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