From “I Love It” and “Fancy” to “Speed Drive” and “Boom Clap,” Charli XCX has been upending pop music with boisterous production and gigantic hooks for over a decade. On Thursday (Feb. 29), the Grammy nominee officially launched her newest era with the delightfully rambunctious “Von Dutch” and its accompanying music video.
“I’m just living that life, Von Dutch/ Cult classic but it’s still pop/ I get money, you get mad/ Because the bank stop,” she sing-chants over a blaring synth-anchored electropop beat produced by EASYFUN.
In the music video for the brash song — one that wholly embraces her position as an artist who straddles the line of pop star and cult favorite — Charli wreaks havoc in a semi-empty airport. She embodies the archetype of an overgrown brat as she struts down moving walkways, trespasses onto empty planes and frolics on the baggage carousel. The visual was filmed at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport and directed by Torso.
“Von Dutch” serves as the lead single from Charli’s forthcoming sixth studio album, Brat. The new record is the follow-up to 2022’s Crash, which topped the albums chart in the U.K. and reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest charting LP yet of Charli’s career in the U.S. On Feb. 24, Charli discussed her new album on X, writing, “I was born to make dance music. I came from the clubs. XCX6 is the album I’ve always wanted to make.”
On the heels of her BRIT Award nomination (pop act), the innovative pop star will be honored with the Powerhouse Award at the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards presented by Marriott Bonvoy on Wednesday, March 6, at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, and streaming March 7. Of her honor, Charli posted on X, “[Billboard] is honoring me at their [Women in Music Awards] and I’m very honored… I’ve never felt stronger about the music I’m making and it’s defo cool to be noticed but it’s also fun to be an outsider too. So thank you!”
Stream “Von Dutch” below, and watch the music video above.