After months of anticipation, Charli XCX has finally released her fifth studio album, CRASH. The follow-up to her lockdown record, How I’m Feeling Now, the 12-track collection has received universal critical acclaim for the pop icon’s sharp songwriting and the crisp production, as well as its critique on major record labels. In celebration of its release (its set to become her first UK chart-topper), GAY TIMES has ranked all seven of our former cover star’s releases to date, from her fan-favourite debut True Romance all the way to CRASH.

7. Sucker (2014)

Standout tracks: Famous, Breaking Up, Doing It 

As Charli’s most commercially successful album, becoming her first (and only) record to chart in the top 40 in the United States (sacrilege!), Sucker’s placement here is pretty ironic. Despite ranking in last place, the album is filled to the brim with pop earworms. Inspired by bands such as The Donnas, Shampoo and Bikini Kill, Charli’s sophomore release saw the singer ditch the synthpop stylings of her debut for “very shouty, girl-power” pop-punk anthems centering around teenage angst such as Break the Rules, Breaking Up and Famous, as well as electropop tunes Doing It (feat. Rita Ora), Boom Clap (her only solo top 10 hit in the US) and Die Tonight (underrated). With pop-punk making a comeback with hits from Olivia Rodrigo, Willow Smith and GAYLE, Charli was – as always – ahead of her time. There are a couple album cuts that drag Sucker down, however, with London Queen, a Ramones-inspired new-wave track where Charli declares that she’s, well, a “London Queen”, and So Over You, an electro break-up bop that sounds great on paper but doesn’t quite reach its full potential. Although Sucker is often overlooked in her discography by fans, we’re putting it out there: we’re here for a sequel.

6. True Romance (2013)

Standout tracks: Nuclear Seasons, You (Ha Ha Ha), Set Me Free (Feel My Pain)

Placing True Romance at six on any list feels like blasphemy. But it’s Charli versus Charli, so, whatever. Released in 2013 to praise from critics, the singer’s debut album is one of her most cohesive and personal bodies of work; diving into “every corner” of her “romantic history” (at the time). Exploring genres such as synthpop and dark wave, True Romance – named after the Quentin Tarantino-written drama of the same name – is, quite literally, the perfect record to blast whilst munching on mushrooms in summertime Amsterdam (if that’s your kind of thing) thanks to psychedelic cuts like Nuclear Seasons, You (Ha Ha Ha) and Cloud Aura (feat. Brooke Candy). There’s some more straightforward pop moments, however, in Take My Hand, Black Roses and, our personal favourite, Set Me Free (Feel My Pain), which boasts one of the most euphoric choruses in Charli’s discography. While a lot of artists’ debuts aren’t… fully realised, we’ll say that, True Romance is an expertly crafted collection of glossy earworms brimming with Charli’s signature quirks. And, most importantly, it has stood the test of time. Nine years later, True Romance still sounds fresh as hell.