Charli XCX has opened up about her debut mixtape ‘14’, admitting that she “hates” it, while also saying that it has “style” and “direction”.
The singer has had a huge 2024 with her sixth studio album ‘Brat’, but when she was making her first moves in music in the ‘00s, this level of stardom would have seemed a long way off.
When she was 14 years old, she was learning to play guitar and keyboards, uploading tracks to MySpace and playing the occasional acoustic gig. She assembled her first full mixtape around that time, appropriately titled ‘14’, and had it pressed on CD.
Those tracks are now available to listen to online, but Charli herself has mixed feelings about them.
Speaking to Variety, she has said: “God, I hate that album so much. I haven’t listened to it for a decade, at least. It was sort of transitional – there are guitar[-based] songs on that record, but also elements of me exploring dance music. Some of those songs are terrible, but I think there was a style there, a direction, that a few people caught on to.”
Not long after that, Charli discovered club music and she was soon set on the path we see now. “I did a few small acoustic gigs, but I never felt particularly myself, singing on a stage with a guitar,” she continued. “It wasn’t until I was 14 or 15 and started going to raves that I felt inspired, performing with my iPod and a mic.”
She went to the Slade School Of Fine Art at age 18 and released her full debut album ‘True Romance’ in 2013 via Asylum/Atlantic, having experienced her first taste of chart success with her feature on Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’ in 2012, a UK Number One single that she co-wrote.
Elsewhere, Charli shared her 2024 Spotify Wrapped stats earlier today (December 4), with Bladee, Air, A.G. Cook, Clairo and Mk.gee her most-played artists of the year.
Two of Charli’s songs made their way into NME‘s 50 best of 2024 list, with ‘Brat’ track ‘365’ at Number 11 and her ‘Girl, So Confusing’ remix with Lorde coming in at Number Four.
And, ‘Brat’ summer looks set for round two in 2025. Last week, Charli was confirmed as the first headliner for next year’s Parklife. The ‘360’ artist has also curated a day at London’s LIDO Festival, where she’ll deliver a bill-topping performance.
Additionally, she will play two outdoor shows in Belfast and Dublin, perform at Coachella 2025 and top the bill at Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Porto. On top of that, she’s also announced a US arena tour for April and May.
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