Charli XCX: On Creativity, Fashion And Vodka

2023 Author: Amber Richards | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-22 00:24

Marie Claire: Charlotte, this is not your first time in Moscow. Did you like something here?

Charli XCX: Every time my trips are very short: I arrive, give a concert and immediately have to move on. But I managed to appreciate the local architecture. It is very different from English … and I also like vodka.

MS: Really? Do you prefer cocktails or drink without mixing?

CX: I'm not hard core like you guys, I don't drink pure vodka, but I like fruity, girly mixes.

MS: You travel a lot, have sleepless nights and generally have a difficult schedule, what do you do to maintain your beauty?

CX: I drink a lot of water … I also like the sheet masks, the ones that are shaped like the face.

MS: How often do you use them?

CX: Once a week.

MS: Do you have any secret of taking care of yourself during bindings?

CX: Actually, these are the masks I put on on the plane.

MS: Are you not shy?

CX: No, I used to be embarrassed. People may have thought I was crazy … But now I just lie down with my head up and relax. It works.

MS: How often do you pay attention to the opinions of others? How much does it bother you?

CX: Not worried. I feel comfortable with who I am and the principles that I adhere to. Someone will disagree with this, and that's okay. I'm happy. I feel like I'm a good person.

MS: You started your career early, but it seems like you knew that you were going to be successful from the very beginning. Where does this confidence come from, where do you get faith in yourself?

CX: I just always knew that I wanted to make music. I didn't want to do anything else. Music is the element where I feel most comfortable and most alive. So it just had to happen.

MS: You studied at the prestigious UCL Slade School of Fine Art, but dropped out in the second year … Did you have a moment of doubt and fear when you made this decision?

CX: No, it was pretty clear to me that this was exactly what I had to do at that point in time.

MS: When did you realize that the standard path: school, university, work, family is not quite for you?

CX: I think as soon as I got the first offer to record a studio album. It gave me a sense of security. But actually … from a very early age, from the age of five, I think I wanted to be Britney Spears. It was a big dream … Yes, it all started right then.

MS: Social media has played a big role in your success. You are still insanely popular on Instagram, for example. What is your secret to success?

CX: I don't know. I try not to even think about it. It's just important to be yourself, to publish what you like, what you love. Allow fans to enter your world.

MS: However, do you have boundaries that you do not allow others to enter?

CX: Yes, I hardly talk about my personal life, for example.

MS: Speaking about your personal life in general, do you believe that you can combine a pop career with your personal life? And can this life be quiet and calm?

CX: What you sow is what you reap: what you give to the world you get in return. If you want a relationship, you will have it, and it will remain your personal affair until you start spreading about it yourself. When you talk about them publicly, they become public.

MS: But any success takes time. Where do you find time for your boyfriend?

CX: Right. I think everyone just needs to prioritize correctly. Being with people who understand what you are doing definitely makes things easier.

MS: Regarding your style, you once described it as "Disney Grunge". How do you describe this style?

CX: I think I said that when I was much younger. (Laughs)

MS: So something has changed in your style?

CX: I think like any girl, I experimented a lot with style. I've always been drawn to the club kid image, the nineties style that I still love. I also like the seventies - it's the same nineties, only better.

MS: Are these preferences reflected in the music as well?

CX: Creating a certain image helps me as an artist explain what is going on in my head.

MS: You have an interesting attitude to flowers, a whole philosophy. Could you tell us more about this?

CX: It's called synesthesia. When I am in the studio, when I listen and write music, I associate it with color. This helps me a lot to understand what should be in the video clip, on the cover of the disc and what the words should be for this music.

MS: Do you paint?

CX: No, I used to draw when I was in art school, but now I hardly draw.

MS: What color prevails in your music?

CX: I think it's black and bubblegum pink.

MS: What do they represent?

CX: Pink is pop culture and the energy around it, sweetness. Black creates a base, symbolizing the dark and mysterious side of the music.

MS.: Marie Claire Russi annually participates in the international project Shorts First, when the content in the magazine and on the website is primarily devoted to shoes. What do you feel about shoes? Do you have many of them? What are your shoe preferences?

CX: I have a lot of shoes. It's only recently that I've started wearing sneakers that I've been crazy about lately. But I also love stripping: the colorful, super high heels with straight heels are real stripper shoes.

MS: Favorite brands?

CX: Karl Lagerfeld makes cool sneakers. I also love Vivienne Westwood's shoes.

MS: And the last question … not the easiest one: you openly express your views on gender inequality … Share your views on this topic with the readers of Marie Claire.

CX: I believe it is important, necessary to promote gender equality in all aspects of life. Regardless of gender characteristics, people should have equal positions in society and at work. It's great that pop artists, actors talk about this topic, influence the younger generation. Very young girls and boys participate in the discussion, thanks to the development of social networks as well. All this provoked a new wave of feminism. We haven’t come to a consensus yet, but it’s good that the topic is heard.

MS: Don't you think that in your industry sometimes it's even easier for girls to succeed than men?

CX: No, I don't think so at all. It's much more difficult for girls. They are looked down upon, condemned, questioned about their actions - this is done by journalists, society, and representatives of the industry itself. There are very few executive women in it. There are not many women in the music industry who have succeeded as a manager, and those who have done so fall under a barrage of criticism and prejudice. They are called "bastards", behind their backs they ask the question, how did she achieve success … Whereas men do not face this. This is not fair.