# Charli xcx embraces distorted guitars on post-Brat album

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/charli-xcx-cranks-up-the-guitars-and-launches-her-post-brat-era-with-the-razor-sharp-music-fashion-film-album-review/
- Published: 2026-07-24T11:32:07+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-24T17:48:27+00:00
- Original publisher: Variety
- Original article: https://variety.com/2026/music/reviews/charli-xcx-guitars-music-fashion-film-album-review-1236818593/
- Topics: Art, Culture, Entertainment, Fashion, Film, Music

## Key points

- Charli xcx swaps ‘Brat’ pop for distorted guitar-driven songs.
- The 11-track album runs for under 30 minutes.
- A.G. Cook and Finn Keane are key collaborators.

## Summary

Charli xcx’s new album, ‘Music, Fashion, Film’, marks a sharp stylistic move away from the pop and club-oriented sound of her ‘Brat’ era. Variety’s review portrays it as a concise, guitar-led post-‘Brat’ statement, reflecting the artist’s willingness to shift direction rapidly despite an already crowded run of projects in 2026.

The 11-track album lasts just under 30 minutes and is largely made with longtime collaborators A.G. Cook and Finn Keane. Its sound combines heavily distorted guitars, simple beats and glitchy electronic textures with cleaner, often untreated vocals; the review hears references to Blur, Wire and Dry Cleaning, and notes the absence of guest artists apart from an unsettling spoken monologue.

## Coverage

- [Variety: Charli xcx embraces distorted guitars on post-Brat album](https://variety.com/2026/music/reviews/charli-xcx-guitars-music-fashion-film-album-review-1236818593/)
- [Rolling Stone: Charli xcx Makes the Most of Her Moment With ‘Music, Fashion, Film’](https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/charli-xcx-music-fashion-film-review-1235597074/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.