Charli XCX to Play the Mayan Theater on October 24

Fred Hernandez

Mix sugar and spice and you’ll get Charli XCX. Her music is a warped version and homage of 80’s club bangers so she’s your guiltiest of guilty pleasures.

Charli XCX, also known as Charlotte Emma Aitchison is a pop icon in the making due to her goth-pop sensibilities. The XCX suffix “really stands for ‘kiss Charli kiss’, which is unbelievable crap,” according to XCX herself.

Hailing from Hertfordshire, England, Charli XCX romanticized the Spice Girls phenomenon growing up and was inspired to write her own songs at the age of 8. She posted songs on her long gone Myspace and began attending illegal East London warehouse raves at the age of 14, with parental approval. With the unrelenting support from her parents, Charli released “¡Francheskaar!” and “Emelline” / “Art Bitch” in 2008 under Orgy Music which became instant hits. Her debut album, 14, was never released commercially, only for a few promotional copies. In 2010 she was signed to Asylum Records and took a self-imposed break after stepping back and realizing she wasn’t achieving her full potential.

After three years of being away from the spotlight, Charli XCX released “Stay Away” and “Nuclear Seasons” produced by Ariel Rechtshaid of Sky Ferreira fame. Both tracks won the coveted Best New Track from Pitchfork without having ever been commercially released.

In 2012 she supported music titans, Santigold and Coldplay, on their summer tour. On June 2012, she released her first EP, You’re the One, through Warner Music in Australia, Asylum and Atlantic Records in the UK, and IAMSOUND Records in the US.

Charli’s big break came when she co-wrote the worldwide phenomenon “I Love It” by Icona Pop. It peaked on the Swedish charts for three weeks at the number two position. Her second album and first major label debut, True Romance, inspired by Charli’s romantic history, was released on April 2013. By June 2013, she had announced that she was working on her newest album. Packing star power, the album features collaborations with Weezer, John Hill, the Stargate duo and Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend). In September 2013, she supported Paramore on their UK leg of their tour.

On May 2014 “Fancy” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. Charli XCX co-wrote the song with Australian, by way of Florida rapper, Iggy Azalea. It was the first time both of these artists hit the number one spot on the charts. Charli then released “Boom Clap” featured on The Fault In the Stars, movie soundtrack. “Boom Clap” reached number eight on the Billboard chart and number 6 in the UK.

Charli XCX’s upcoming album, Sucker, will be released on October 21, 2014. Her first single off the record,  “Break the Rules”, was released on August 18.

Charli XCX is a master pop-smith with a natural talent  for creating universal hits. Her keen eye for style made her an instant Tumblr queen, but her music is what makes the star’s soul glow. Her creativity and talent is what will keep her relevant beyond the blogs.

Charli XCX plays at the Mayan Theater on Friday, October 24th. Tickets are available now.