Interview with Charli XCX: Unmasking, Redemption, and the Road to Liberation
Brat Summer was Over Ten Years Ago
Date: September 3, 2034
Interviewer: Voice of the Diaspora
Interviewer: Charli, thank you so much for sitting down with us today. Your journey over the past decade has been nothing short of transformative. Let’s start with the beginning—what initially led you to embark on this path of unmasking?
Charli XCX: Thank you for having me. It’s been an intense but deeply rewarding journey. The turning point really came during the "Brat Summer" era. At the time, I was fully immersed in this rebellious, pop star persona—untamed, energetic, and defiant. But as exhilarating as it was, there was always this nagging feeling that something wasn’t right, that I was playing a role rather than being my true self.
The persona I had crafted began to feel like a mask that was keeping me from fully embracing who I am. It was around this time that I started to feel a deep yearning for something more authentic—something that connected me to my roots, my heritage, and a sense of purpose beyond the glitter and glamour of fame. That’s when I began to explore my South Asian heritage more seriously, and that exploration became the key to my unmasking.
Interviewer: How did your exploration of your South Asian roots influence your music and identity?
Charli XCX: It was incredibly transformative. Music has always been my way of expressing myself, so naturally, it became the medium through which I reconnected with my heritage. As I delved deeper into the sounds, rhythms, and stories of South Asia, I began to integrate these elements into my work. This wasn’t just about incorporating cultural references—it was about reclaiming a part of myself that had been sidelined for so long.
The more I explored, the more I realized how much my South Asian roots shaped my identity. It was a process of peeling back the layers of the pop star persona to reveal a more complex and authentic self. This journey wasn’t just about personal transformation; it was also a cultural and political awakening that redefined my role as an artist.
Editor's Note: As an exercise in writing autonomy, I thought about (1) prefiguring healthier forms of fandom that actively resist the conditions for harmful or violent behavior including stalking, and (2) a liberatory fanfic practice around offering celebrity a path forward from today that places her in a struggle, outside of her hyperreality, and without shame. Let’s ride.
Interviewer: Your journey of unmasking also involved confronting past associations, particularly with the Red Scare podcast. Can you talk about that part of your redemption?
Charli XCX: Yes, that was a significant and challenging part of my journey. In my earlier years, I was loosely associated with the cultural space that the Red Scare podcast occupied. At the time, I didn’t fully understand the implications of their rhetoric or the harm it was causing.