i can't stop thinking about music fashion film. a lot of people really thought this album was just going to be charli trolling. but as she stated in an interview (i really recommend hearing her interviews for this era as they have a lot of insight on this era) she thinks things can be both funny and earnest at the same time. and this album is so incredibly sincere.
i love how in several tracks she analyzes and plays the way mainstream media have made a caricature out of her after brat (see: the moment), and to quote her directly:
it’s fascinating to see how people ingest your personality and spit it back out—what people cling on to, what people miss. I’m always interested in, like, what does the casual viewer think? and they probably think i’m a girl who parties and does drugs and is a little bit bitchy.
we currently live in an era where we are constantly pushed towards living putting ourselves on boxes and aesthetics and the perception of others. to pursue passive consumption rather than creation. to see any creative hobby as a possible source of productivity and profit.
so, to me it is so special that a recurring theme throughout the album is about trying things and following your inspiration without caring about the possibility of failing or being bad or judged and misinterpreted because of it, because creating is all about the enjoyment of the process, of doing the things that you love.
(personally, it's my favorite theme, as i find it so inspiring and meaningful as someone who struggles to see it that way)
but even if we do things of our own passion, it is very human to want recognition and success and that is clearly something she's pondered a lot. it could have been so easy for her to stay within the limits of what has already worked for her and the general public, but she took a great risk by making an album so sonically distinct from that.
it ultimately ties to the bigger, more personal theme of music fashion film. as said many times by herself, charli has a tendency of valuing her craft as something that defines her worth. cronenberg's part in no one lasts forever really cemented and tied everything for me: art by itself is not going to save you. the possible immortality you get by creating is not the point of creation, but rather living doing things you love, following and enjoying the things that inspire you, with the people you love.
2087
yousharknotpass
snowghoul
discoholicmusic
blakekathryn
amandla
