Charli Xcx – Pop 2 (2xLP)

Charli XCX’s Pop 2 arrived in 2017 as her fourth mixtape, and it still feels like a key document in the shift toward hyperpop. Built around a dense network of collaborators rather than a standard solo-star format, it captures Charli pushing major-label pop toward something stranger, sharper and more communal. That approach is a big part of why the record is so often treated as a defining release in her catalogue.

The guest list tells part of the story: Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo, ALMA, Caroline Polachek, Mykki Blanco, Kim Petras and others all appear, but Pop 2 works because the album never feels like a parade of cameos. Tracks such as “Backseat,” “Out of My Head” and “Unlock It” show how naturally Charli folds those voices into her futuristic, high-gloss songwriting. The result is pop music that is emotional and hook-heavy, but restless enough to keep bending its own shape.

It also helps explain the record’s long afterlife. “Unlock It” became a viral favourite, while “Track 10” has grown into one of the most celebrated songs Charli has released. For listeners coming to this vinyl edition now, Pop 2 stands as both a snapshot of Charli’s 2017 creative freedom and a blueprint for where adventurous pop would head next.

Reviews

• an uninhibited, anti-algorithm vision of what pop music could be - Pitchfork
• With adventurous ideas, noisy thrills and eclectic guests, Charli XCX shows that cheesy pop can be truly creative - The Guardian

Genre: Pop & Rock