Best Pop Star in the World: Charli XCX at the House of Blues
by Kenneth Cox and Annie Wojnarowski
KENNETH COX
About halfway through her show at House of Blues last month, Charli XCX made a statement that sent her audience into a frenzy: “I’m the best pop star in the world.” The singer came to Boston as part of the tour for her newest album, Charli. Her first official studio album in more than 5 years, the record is filled with hyper-futuristic pop anthems that are lightyears away from her last record, Sucker. As a Charli XCX fan for years, I was excited to see how the new sound of her music would translate to a live setting. Needless to say, she absolutely did not disappoint.
Looking out across the packed floor of the House of Blues, the audience dressed as if it was prom night at the high school of HBO’s Euphoria. Glittery makeup, pink wigs, and angel wings in honor of her fan name could all be spotted amongst the fans that turned out their most extravagant looks for the show. Serene classical music flowed through the hall as Charli fans were discussing what tracks they were excited to hear, sharing memes via Airdrop, and getting ready for the singer to take the stage.
Finally, after much anticipation, the lights cut out, and Charli took the stage. Her stage was complete with massive, flashing cubes and lights that seemed to flood every inch of the cavernous venue with fluorescent colors and blinding strobe lights. Mere seconds into the opener, “Next Level Charli,” every single person on the floor was screaming along, not missing a single word of the track’s rapid-fire delivery. Charli didn’t miss a beat either, dancing around on stage and matching the audience’s incredible energy. Within minutes, it became clear that the show was the setting where Charli’s music was at its full power, shouting the lyrics with thousands of other fans, feeling as if it could go “forever and ever” as she sings.
Starting off the show at such high energy, most performers wouldn’t be able to keep it up, but Charli XCX isn’t like most performers. “Click” came second in the night, and the crowd immediately went crazy at the sound of the track’s growing, metallic intro. Mosh pits broke out, and fans broke out into an energy that’s rarely seen at shows. This energy hit its peak at Charli’s signature song “Vroom Vroom,” arguably one of the biggest bangers of recent years. There wasn’t a single person in the crowd that wasn’t screaming along and jumping around from the beginning ‘til the very end.
ANNIE WOJNAROWSKI
Just when the audience was getting more comfortable with moshing to the electronic nirvana of Charli’s sound, she moved to four slower ballads. Going from “February 2017” to “Thoughts,” then “White Mercedes” to “Official,” there was a shift in the audience. Fans who were moshing to “Cross You Out” just a few minutes ago were now in tears over Charli’s vulnerable performance. Standing in the middle of the stage, a mere silhouette, Charli sings, full chest, as the rest of the crowd stood and stared in awe.
It seemed like a culmination of her career, singing, fully confident in her ability, to a sea of fans that love her unconditionally. After performing “Official”, Charli put on one of the most overwhelming and masterful live performances that I’ve ever seen. Bringing out local drag queens from the Boston area, Charli sang “Shake It” while queens strutted and danced to the song. Letting these Boston queens have their moment made the concert feel ever so personal.
With the audience sweating, panting, and smiling, Charli didn’t let up for a second. Going right into “I Got It” from Charli’s 2017 album, Pop 2, the pit may as well have started a minor earthquake. With the crowd chanting like they were part of a Charli XCX cult, Charli herself was reveling at the moment. Not faltering a little, Charli performed “Blame It On Your Love,” “Silver Cross,” and “2099” before leaving the stage. The audience took a momentary breather. Catching our breath, we started to scream, louder and louder, until everyone stopped cold.
All it took was one line: “Lock it, lock it, lock-ock-ock it, lock it, lock it, unlock it” and an absolute frenzy up. You would have never known that Charli and the audience had been dancing and singing for an hour and a half straight. The highlight of the night, Charli cemented her status as one of the best pop stars in the industry, but she clearly already knew that.