Steps Into Futurism and Maturity: Pop 2

CHARLI XCX - POP 2

SCORE: 87/100 - 8.7

Charli's 2017 mixtape mixes and matches with different sounds, embracing newfound maturity, introspective writing, and A. G. Cook's infectious producorial palate to make one of her most aesthetically pleasing and emotional projects yet. 

'Pop 2' truly does feel like a new blend of pop - mixing electronic elements into something much bigger and much more grand in one of her most unique and surprising projects to date. It's a slow start that bubbles up and explodes into something deeply mature and applaudable, and this feels like the melancholy once the party is over - but before the party has even begun. It's much lighter and airier in sound, with less density and more focus on writing and blissful sounds that make 'Pop 2' an absolute must out of her discography. Charli's work with SOPHIE began one of the most iconic and important partnerships in all of pop music, and the wonky, "weird" sound of this tape comes from the depth of the producers chosen to back Charli's vision into something even bigger. It's clear that she was a visionary, and this tape marks a drastically important change in her artistry - and it's aged incredibly well for a mixtape from nearly eight years ago.

This project came together in various ways before becoming a mixtape instead - but it has so much polish and artistic direction it's near impossible to see it as a mere mixtape, especially when it's one of her most emotionally driven and strikingly mature projects. Her collaborators suit the tape delightfully well, and the entirety of the tape feels like something you simply can't miss out on. It's one of the saddest parties you'll ever attend - but the good memories still linger amongst everything else. It feels like a glimmer of hope after the scrapped 'XCX World' and plans for this to be her third LP before plans changed and music was leaked; and Charli came up after her entire world had been shattered in front of her very eyes. It's a project of sheer strength and endurance, and it showcases why Charli is one of the best artists pop has ever gotten.

The project's vision and concept was described as being both "another planet up in the clouds" and "intensely weird and childlike" in terms of both sound and atmosphere, and this tape delivers that massively - except without the childishness. 'Pop 2' manages to still feel like one of her most mature and personal projects to this day, and the result is something much more atmospheric and emotionally driven. It's slower, more full of bittersweet symphonies and melancholy - but it still keeps her charm. She experiments and took a massive leap to make something new and deeply futuristic - and no other artists could have come together to make something quite like this. It has the songs that feel like contemplating everything and sitting alone in the dark alongside the heavy, bassy bangers - and the result is unapologetically Charli. 

It changes midway through, starting with 'I Got It' to become something much more full of bass and energy. It feels like an intense runway finish with all of the flare and shimmer you could possibly want; and it's without a doubt one of Charli's most bold and exciting bodies of work. It switches from sorrow to shimmers in an instant, and this is one of her most deeply versatile projects. Charli's artistry on this project is completely unmatched; and it's no wonder as to why she's such a massive sensation.