Charli xcx Announces New Single “rock music” Dropping Tomorrow

Charli xcx is breathing live back into the dancefloor. And thank God for that!

This morning, the pop provocateur dropped a black-and-white teaser video to announce her upcoming single, “rock music”, arriving tomorrow. In it, a black stiletto-ed Charli walks into frame and stomps on the neck of an electric guitar to the clashing of distorted instrumentals. Remember when she teased a retirement from music? Yeah, neither does she.

This will mark the first official release from her upcoming eighth studio album, following the culture-resetting reign of Brat and its sweat-drenched hyperpop universe. While little is known about the project so far, “rock music” already hints at a sharper, grittier sonic direction, perhaps trading rave aesthetics for something darker, louder, and a little more dangerous.

This is the second preview we’ve received of the track rollout so far. On May 2, Charli xcx shared a lo-fi studio video from Rue Boyer Studios in Paris, offering a raw glimpse into the making of the track alongside longtime collaborators A. G. Cook and Finn Keane. In the clip, we hear Charli repeatedly sing the phrase “me and my friends” over crunchy, distorted production, while an iPhone Notes app briefly flashes additional lyrics onscreen: “we go out / we take pictures / we make stuff together / we sometimes cry / we kiss each other / incestuous vibes.”

Whether “rock music” is a full-blown genre pivot or just another expertly executed fake-out from pop’s most unpredictable shapeshifter remains to be seen. But if the teaser proves anything, it’s that Charli xcx still knows exactly how to send the internet into cardiac arrest with a 19-second clip and a c*nt pair of heels.