Signed as a teenager, Charli XCX, real name Charlotte Aitchison, became a darling of the blog community through a series of acclaimed single and mixtape releases. Now aged 20, the Hertfordshire-raised singer has released her debut album True Romance.
How does it feel to finally have a debut album on record store shelves?
I’ve been working on this record for five years now and I have grown up through this album. Putting it out is kind of like a closed chapter in my life and quite emotional for me. Everyone is always talking about me as if I’m this fictional internet character, so it’s nice to finally have a physical CD that I can hold.
Did the hype and interest in you create added pressure during recording?
To be honest, not really. I’ve taken it at my own pace. There were two prior dates set for the record and everyone was ready to go, but I held it back because I wasn’t happy with it and wanted to make some changes. I’m really confident that the album that I have made is really good. Now I’ve got to make a second one. That’s more scary.
True Romance is firmly rooted in pop music. Was that always your intention?
Definitely. I never wanted to write an alienating hipster album or anything like that. The influence behind the record is one of the most pop subjects in the world – love. That’s why I called it True Romance because all the songs are about romance. Apart from one, which is about taking ecstasy.
You were aged 15 when you got signed. How do you feel when you look back at that period?
In hindsight, I definitely got signed too early. But it wasn’t a bad thing for me because I had a really great label who didn’t want to make me into some crazy fucked-up child star. They knew that I had to grow, which is so lucky because I think a lot of people would have just rinsed me for cash.
RICHARD SMIRKE
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