A new Charli XCX era is officially on its way. 

Last week (August 2), after teasing XCX5, the future-pop singer announced her new single “Good Ones”, arriving September 2, via Instagram.

The singer hinted on social media that the single (and potential record) will include a new sound, stating, “RIP hyperpop,” alongside an image that says: “To become the new flesh you first have to kill the old flesh.” Charli’s last album, How I’m Feeling Now, which was released during lockdown in May 2020, featured a futuristic hyperpop sound.

In an interview with Refinery29, the musician stated, “I’m just very into making ultimate pop music, and the whole album is very contrasting from How I’m Feeling Now.” She continued, “I’m exploring what it means to be a pop star on a major label in a not very current way. And that’s really fun to me.”

Otherwise, Charli provided insight to the album’s themes. “There are a couple of songs that have stayed as a part of this new project,” she explained. “And to be honest, the meaning of them hasn’t changed. I mean, they were all kind of about sex. And that’s still been quite constant for me throughout the pandemic.”

“With the way that I feel about myself and my sexuality and romance, the pandemic hasn’t changed that too much. For me, it just didn’t feel like what I needed to say at that moment in time, it actually feels more, now. The idea of leaving my house, going back out into the world, wearing provocative clothes, dancing all night, that kind of equates more to the music that I was making before the pandemic.”

Yesterday (August 8) Charli teased a clip from an unreleased song on TikTok, which showed the singer dancing to a synth-heavy beat under club-style strobe lights. Perhaps the new record will soundtrack our much-awaited return to nightlife? We hope so.

Otherwise, the singer recently announced her new podcast, Best Song Ever, which will see Charli and her guests curating the “ultimate life playlist”. The show’s line-up will include Addison Rae, Barbie Ferreira, Ziwe, Christine and the Queens, Mark Ronson, Caroline Polachek, and more. 

The show’s first episode dropped today, featuring Charli and Christine and the Queens breaking down the greatest songs to fall in love to. Check out the episode here.