Charli XCX Unveils “Playboy Bunny” B-Side, Expands Non-Streaming Release Strategy

On May 23 2026, Charli XCX posted the pop-punk track “Playboy Bunny” to her Instagram account @b.sides and announced its inclusion on a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl paired with the single “SS26.” The two songs are presented as complementary opposites, with “Playboy Bunny” serving as the B-side to “SS26,” which is expected to appear on Charli’s forthcoming seventh studio album.

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The release follows a brief promotional period in which Charli issued “Rock Music” and “SS26,” both featuring guitar-driven arrangements that diverge from the hyperpop style of her 2024 album Brat. Media speculation suggested a pivot toward a heavier, rock-oriented album; Charli later clarified she never announced a rock album, emphasizing the tracks as experimental explorations rather than a genre shift.

Billboard

Charli has revived a pre-streaming model in which each lead single is accompanied by an exclusive B-side. She distributes the B-sides solely through the @b.sides Instagram feed and limited vinyl, stating they “are never gonna go on streaming.” This approach frames the B-sides as extensions of the album’s world that “felt like a part of the world of the album but I kinda knew they weren’t ever gonna be on the album.”

Rolling Stone

“Playboy Bunny” delivers serrated guitars, distorted vocals, and a fast-paced riff, while “SS26” leans on gritty, alternative-rock textures and a more restrained structure. Charli describes the pairing as a “mirror” in which the two tracks are “totally opposite” sonically, a deliberate contrast meant to highlight different facets of her evolving sound.

NME | New Musical Express

In an Instagram video, Charli explained that the B-sides are “coupled with some of the songs that are coming out ahead of the album” and that their primary purpose is to showcase “specifically sonic things that are extremely opposite” to the A-side. She reiterated that the B-sides “are never gonna go on streaming,” though she left open the possibility of future changes.

Rolling Stone

Industry commentary noted that the “Playboy Bunny” release reignited debate over whether Charli’s new material signals a permanent shift toward rock. Critics pointed to her earlier claim that “the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music” as evidence of a strategic rebranding, while Charli’s subsequent denial that she is making a rock album tempered those concerns.

Billboard

• Release date: May 23 2026 (Instagram)

Billboard

• Formats: Instagram @b.sides exclusive video; limited 7-inch vinyl (pressing quantity undisclosed)

Rolling Stone

• Collaborators on “SS26”: A.G. Cook, Finn Keane, and Charli XCX (co-producer)

Charli XCX releases new single ‘SS26’ alongside music video

• Prior singles: “Rock Music” (April 2026) and “SS26” (May 21 2026)

Billboard

Sources differ on the permanence of the streaming ban: some cite Charli’s statement that B-sides “are never gonna go on streaming,” while other coverage notes she “could possibly change” that stance, leaving the future distribution model uncertain.

NME | New Musical Express

• “The B sides, are sort of like coupled with some of the songs that are coming out like ahead of the album,” — Charli XCX, Instagram video

Rolling Stone

• “The reason that they’re paired together, these two songs, are because, in ways, they’re totally opposite from each other, and that is kind of the sort of main point of them,” — Charli XCX, Instagram video

Rolling Stone

• “It’s sort of a mirror… there are specifically sonic things about it that are extremely opposite to ‘SS26’ and I think that’s what made it a good B side, a good pair.” — Charli XCX, Instagram video

Rolling Stone

• “The B sides are never gonna go on streaming,” — Charli XCX, Instagram video

Rolling Stone

• “’Playboy bunny’ video. Shot this day after we shot SS26. Was honestly v hungover lol xx,” — Charli XCX, Instagram caption

Billboard

• “It's got fuzzy, atmospheric guitars and lines like, "All my music sounds the same/ Well, that's because I made it.” — Charli XCX, lyric from “Playboy Bunny.”

Charli XCX Shares New Song "Playboy Bunny": Listen

Charli’s untitled seventh album remains unreleased, with “SS26” and “Rock Music” confirmed as album tracks. She is slated to headline the Reading & Leeds festivals in August 2026 and has indicated that additional B-sides will accompany future singles, continuing the non-streaming rollout strategy.

Billboard