Charli XCX on Her Debut Album and Crazy New Live Show
From Geri Halliwell dolls to Bugs Bunny rap voices, check out Charli XCX's breakdown of her musical obsessions:
1. Kate Bush
Charli XCX: "The album 'The Sensual World' is one of the records that defines me. I think the album artwork is amazing -- it's one of my favorite album artworks ever. She’s smelling the rose, she’s got the rose in front of her face, and I think it’s so beautiful. I just love the production of that whole record, the way that her vocals sound. Everything about it is so dreamy. I think my favorite song on it is 'Heads We're Dancing.'"
2. Uffie
"Uffie was like the first artist that I was completely inspired by, that made me work, I suppose. And that whole label that she’s with, Ed Banger, all of the artists from that -- Justice and Feadz and Sebastian -- the whole French electric thing did it for me when I was 14 or 15. I remember thinking, 'Whoa, this is insane,' and I loved that Uffie rapped. She’s got this freaky accent."
3. Spice Girls
"Aesthetically they're my perfect band. Their album 'Spice' – they have so many good pop songs on that! '2 Become 1' is a fucking jam, and 'Say You'll Be There' is one of my favorite videos ever, when they’re throwing all these blades and knives. It’s like, 'Yes! That's so cool.' I love that shit. They probably inspired me to pick up a hairbrush when I was like five and sing into it.
My boyfriend actually bought me Spice Dolls for Christmas -- they have dolls now. So I have Posh, Baby and Geri as well. I just did an interview with Geri Halliwell, so it's, like, really creepy now that I have a doll of her, and that I also met her and I like went to her house. All of it’s creepy."
4. BenZel
"The first track that they put out was a cover of ['If You Love Me" by] Brownstone, with Jessie Ware. And they put out this other track called 'Fall in Love,' which is amazing. It’s got this luscious but melancholic beat, like '4 a.m., dark-house' kind of vibes, and I love that."
5. Brooke Candy
"She's this badass rapper chick, and she's the future. She's so cool. We did a collaboration together on a track called 'Cloud Aura' that was on my second mixtape, and she just put out a track called 'Everybody Does.' In the video she's got iguanas crawling through her hair -- she's just so great. Her raps are really inventive and… she's got this crazy voice that sounds like a little Bugs Bunny type. I think she's going to like be huge."
