Charli XCX, how i’m feeling now | Album Review 💿

In the midst of a global pandemic, Charli XCX delivers a brief, but creative and intriguing ‘quarantine’ pop album with how i’m feeling now.

COVID-19 has a negative connotation. Rightfully so, considering how the novel virus totally transformed 2020.  People have died.  People have been in quarantine.  Sports events, concerts, theatre, school events and milestones were cancelled.  Even for some, the safe place, places of worship, had to find creative ways to provide hope, through online streaming. 

As bad as COVID-19 has been, it has also given musicians the challenge to be creative in ways they might not ordinarily be.  Charli XCX does just that on her ‘quarantine’ album of sorts, how i’m feeling now.  Just 37 minutes in duration, it definitely a creative and intriguing effort from one of pop’s more prolific, cutting edge artists.

“pink diamond” 

“pink diamond” is the first indication that how i’m feeling now is going to be some type of trip. The ‘raw’ nature of the album begins here. The synths are wild – totally in your face.  Furthermore, when there is a groove, it’s also quite aggressive and feels like it’s going to pummel the shit out of you. At the same time Charli XCX actually isn’t turned up to the same overt degree as her backdrop (produced by A.G. Cook and Dijon), yet manages to capture the same emotion – weird, but true.  Here, her lines are fast-paced, rhythmic, and chanted/pop-rapped.  If it does nothing else, “pink diamond” sets the tone. 

“I will always love you (Love you) / I’ll love you forever / Even when we’re not together…” Standout ✓ “forever,” which is twice as long, is definitely more accessible you might say.  Here, Charli XCX sings, in a pop style, as opposed to rapping.  We get a number of vocal effects and some vocal layering.  The production (Cook and BJ Burton) still has some ‘roughness around the edges,’ but definitely kinder and gentler than “pink diamond” would ever hope to be.  As the excerpted lyric suggest, “forever” is about matters of the heart, specifically, the singer’s boyfriend.

“claws”

Another bop follows with ✓ “claws,” a sleek electro-, urban-infused pop joint produced by Dylan Brady. This just might be the crowning achievement of how i’m feeling now. “claws” is brief – two-and-a-half-minutes brief – but from the start, you instantly can tell Charli has a surefire hit on her hands.  The lyrics are pretty simple but hella entertaining, not to mention at times, risqué:

“I’m not shy, make you sigh
Slip and slide up my thighs
Juicy just like clementines
Sorry if I make you cry.” 

Furthermore, she delivers one of the best, catchiest choruses of the album.  Simply, “I like, I like, I like, I like, I like everything about you.”

“7 years” returns the production team of Cook and Burton. Via Apple Music, Charli describes “7 years” as “about our journey as a couple, and the turbulence we’ve incurred along the way.”  She also speaks about the significance of the song being her first recorded at home since she was a teen.  That background adds a personal touch, not to mention amplifying the ‘quarantine’ element of how i’m feeling now.  Love is always relatable, and it’s no less relatable than normal on “7 years.”

“detonate” 

“Hurt me, know you won’t hurt me / I’m about to detonate / Pull you close, and then, I’ll be gone.” On “detonate,” Charli XCX characterizes herself as a ticking time bomb of sorts, ready to detonate.  She’s hoping it doesn’t happen, yet she knows all the negative things that can go down.  On the post-chorus, she mentions her mistrust of herself, asking him, “Why should you love me?” Even though Charli is totally in her head, mentioning negative things, “detonate” is set in a major key, lacking any darkness aside from the lyrics.

“enemy” feels like a fitting follow-up, as Charli continues to analyze the success of her relationship. “They say, ‘Keep your friends close’ / But you’re closer, I love when you here,” she asserts on the first verse. Then, she ‘flips the script,’ characterizing her boyfriend as her enemy. “I maybe wanted some space,” she asserts, again via Apple Music.  She’d know best, yet, listening to it without that background, I never get the impression that XCX is opposed to the fact that he “could do a little damage” and “could cut me deeper.”

The mind and love (and the pandemic) continue to play a role on the short but incredibly sweet ✓ “i finally understand.” From a musical perspective, “i finally understand” is quick, sleek (though nothing too crazy), and set in a minor key.  Charli’s vocals are cool, more understated, but quite effective. Lyrically and thematically, the ‘understanding’ seems to be about what a committed, loving relationship feels like: “You love me even when I hate myself, I’m sure.” Of course, another lyric that stands out hails from the chorus: “That maybe this feeling that I’ve found / Might kill me, put me in the ground.”

“c2.0” 

“c2.0” is one the most adventurous records from how i’m feeling now.  Worth noting, Charli XCX interpolates herself – “Click” from Charli.  The proper name, hence, is “Click 2.0.” Whether you’re familiar with “Click” or not, “c2.0” is a separate song in its own right.  The biggest selling point is definitely the production – A.G. Cook kills it.  Cook remains behind the boards on ✓ “party 4 u,” the longest song on the album at just under 5 minutes.  Once more, the chorus is incredibly catchy – irresistibly so! On the verses, I love the more experimental approach – various vocal effects and moving beyond the traditional.  After two strong verses, and of course the golden chorus, “party 4 u” gives us a repetitive, vibe-laden break, bridge, and outro.  This is where the song extends its duration.  Because it’s so well done, you actually don’t focus or notice the length, which is definitely a skill.

As compelling as “c2.0” and “party 4 u” are, ✓ “anthems” is the song to beat, period.  “Anthems” is Charli XCX to the core.  Sleek and in-your-face, if you avoided “anthems,” well, it would totally come after you.  Danny L Harle and Dylan Brady outdo themselves on the production, with the dizzying, rhythmic synths and hard-hitting drum programming.  Charli sings in an aggressive, exaggerated, and passionate style, beginning with opening lines that speak directly to the effects of quarantine:

“I’m so bored (Woo)
Wake up late, eat some cereal
Try my best to be physical
Lose myself in a TV show…”

Ultimately, well, she wants “…Anthems / Late nights, my friends, New York / … Finally, when it’s over / We might be even closer, uh, uh.” Basically, she wants to party – live it up! “visions” caps off the album, though definitely not in traditional fashion.  Who needs traditional, right? What is traditional or expected is that lyrically, she’s embracing love and looking towards the future of her relationship.  What makes “visions” more novel, progressive, and unexpected is the extended rave music.  The ending of “visions” definitely makes you’ll want to get out on the dance floor and bust a move or two. 

Final Thoughts 

All said and done, how i’m feeling now is quite a creative and intriguing pop album.  I definitely agree with the characterization that other critics have asserted – there’s a rawness about the project.  That raw nature totally feels right given situation in which it was constructed.  Even if finesse is questionable at times, how i’m feeling now would be a viable pop album regardless of a global pandemic or not.  All 11 songs are worthwhile while the gems shine incredibly bright.

✓ Gems: “forever,” “claws,” “i finally understand,” “party 4 u” & “anthems”

Charli XCX • how i’m feeling now • Warner UK • Release: 5.15.20

Photo Credit: Warner UK