This interview appeared in the September 2019 issue of GAY TIMES.

Words Sam Damshenas
Photography Ryan Pfluger
Fashion Alison Brooks
Hair Clyde Haygood
Makeup Holly Silius

Having Charli XCX’s name and ‘pop pioneer’ in the same sentence feels correct. After slaying the industry with her synthpop debut True Romance and her punk-pop sophomore follow-up Sucker, the British singer-songwriter radically changed her sound with the experimental and futuristic 2017 mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2. Although she hasn’t reached the top of the charts with her recent bops, like in her 'Fancy' and 'Boom Clap' days, the star has garnered a legion of new fans - particularly within the LGBTQ community. Often, you’ll see queer fans on social media calling Charli the “future of pop” or kindly asking whether she’s received medical treatment for her back, due to the fact that she’s “carrying all of pop music”. (Apparently she gets weekly massages, so she’s doing alright.)

This year sees the release of Charli’s incredible, long-awaited self-titled third studio album, which features a host of queer talent such as Pabllo Vittar, Christine and the Queens, Big Freedia, Brooke Candy and Kim Petras - raising LGBTQ voices and proving her status as an ally. To commemorate the album’s release and her upcoming UK tour, Charli linked up with friend and fellow pop saviour Troye Sivan to discuss their “futuristic” new collaboration, and the reasons she wouldn’t be where she is without support from the LGBTQ community.

Troye: Hey Charli! I’m gonna play interviewer today. First, a question about me. Can you remember the first time we met?

Charli: I think the first time we met was at my house when I threw that house party. You were sitting on one of those high chairs in my kitchen. I remember being worried I freaked you out. I think I had a lot of nervous energy that day and was probably talking at 100 miles per hour and being kind of intense. So my first impression of the situation was just that I was worried you found me too much! But my impression of you was cool, calm and collected. And very kind. You always radiate an extremely kind energy.

Troye: You are far, far too kind. I remember being so nervous to say hello to you. Now, I got to collaborate with you twice on your new album. How would you say '1999' compares to '2099'?

Charli: I mean '1999' is a pop banger. It’s nostalgic and it’s fun and it’s silly – in a good way. It’s definitely more of a classically written pop song in so many ways: the structure, the lyrics, the melody. '2099' is sort of the polar opposite. It’s aggressive and futuristic and the production and the lyrics are antagonistic in many ways. '2099 is very braggy' I suppose – basically us just saying we’re the shit. It has a dark energy. I love '2099' so much. The ending is very hardcore. I heard your dog gets frightened of the outro.

Troye: [Laughs] He does, he whines. And a big question, but how would you describe the Charli album overall?

Charli: A rollercoaster ride in the fast lane [laughs]. No but seriously it’s like a mixture of all my emotions. I know every artist says their new album is their most personal, it’s not exactly a groundbreaking piece of information, but for me this album really is that. In the past I think I’ve always managed to be just personal enough without really giving anything away. My stories have never been totally fabricated but they have more been about general emotions or feelings which many people go through and relate to. This album gets specific, from in-depth thoughts on my insecurities and loneliness in songs like 'Gone' and 'Thoughts' to literal specific dates in 'February 2017', where I almost ruined one of the most important relationships of my life. In particular, I would describe the album as cathartic, it’s almost like therapy in some ways... I confess and I feel better I suppose. The thoughts in my head just finally felt like they needed to come out. It feels good to talk about it on this record, and what’s weird is that I really didn’t plan it that way, it just sort of started happening and I went with it.

Troye: Would you say this is a continuation of your previous releases? Or something totally new?