As promised, Charli XCX dropped her new mixtape Number 1 Angel today. The hold-over for her Sucker follow-up keeps her on the PC Music path that she explored on her collaborative Vroom Vroom EP. The album was recorded by that outsider-pop collective’s head honcho A.G. Cook and features production from label members and affiliates like Life Sim, SOPHIE and Carly Rae Jepsen collaborator Danny L. Harle.
The mixtape takes Charli’s well-tread blend of Jock Jams and bubblegum pop and runs it through PC Music’s internet-based aesthetic. The result is a bit like Grimes without Claire Boucher’s distinct vocals and art-damaged lyrics. It’s Art Angels with a lower killer/filler ratio. But then again, that’s not fair to Charli. This is just a stop-gap mixtape, and few pop albums measure up to Angels. Stream it below:
We’re still not sure when we’ll get a proper album from Charli, so if you’re jonesing for more from XCX, a stroll through her discography is in order. Revisit her wild Tim & Eric-indebted video for “Famous” and watch her eye-opening documentary on what life is like for women in the music industry. And take a look at “After The Afterparty,” a meeting of the teen-beloved internet-pop titans.
