Charli xcx is gearing up to kick off her new musical era. Just moments after weeks of speculation around her comments about dance music, the singer officially announced that her new single “rock music” will arrive tonight alongside its music video. “rock music. song and video out tonight. 9pm pst,” she wrote across social media on May 7.
The announcement lands after a chaotic week, sparked by Charli’s recent British Vogue interview where she declared, “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.” The quote quickly spread across social platforms, drawing criticism and confusion from electronic music fans and DJs who interpreted the statement as a dismissal of club culture — a scene that heavily shaped the Brat era.
Instead, Charli later revealed that “rock music” was actually the title of her upcoming single. Now, with the track dropping tonight, the rollout appears less like a provocation and more like a calculated tease for a dramatic sonic pivot.
Creative details surrounding the project already suggest a major stylistic shift. Recorded during an intensive 10-day studio stretch in Paris, the upcoming album reunites Charli with longtime collaborators A. G. Cook and Finn Keane while introducing darker, guitar-driven textures into her sound. Sessions reportedly took place at Rue Boyer between fashion commitments, listening parties, and visual development with creatives including Aidan Zamiri and Alaska.
That evolution follows one of the most successful periods of her career. Released in June 2024, Brat debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and topped charts in the U.K. and Australia before winning three Grammy Awards, including Best Dance/Electronic Album. Its abrasive club production and rave-heavy aesthetic powered the Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan and a sprawling solo run through 2025.
Earlier this year, Charli also experimented outside the dance-pop format with Wuthering Heights, a soundtrack-inspired project tied to Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation. Tracks like “House” featuring John Cale leaned into atmospheric arrangements and cinematic songwriting, quietly signaling that another reinvention was already underway.
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