Charli XCX Brings Pop 2 to the El Rey, 3/15/18
Pop 2 marked the sixth time I’ve caught Charli XCX in concert, and this time she brought along all her (numerous) friends. With her companions at her side, she feels more fun and more realized than ever.
Not only does she boast the sparky personality needed to headline a show, she also has enough talented friends who are just as enthusiastic as her about seeing the vision through. Charli always thrived on collaboration, but it now it’s her primary tool. The first two acts to hit the stage weren’t even the Number 1 Angel herself; PC Music leader AG Cook and Tove Lo actually opened the show with “Out Of My Head,” followed by Lo’s own club drenching “Disco Tits.” It served to get the crowd amped, and it did.
From there, it became a rotating stage of stars basking in the glorious reception of Charli’s latest triumph, Pop 2. Because each artist, from indie-pop darling Caroline Polachek to the ferocious and multifaceted Mykki Blanco, brought an equally unique and integral piece to the show. Not a single act elicited anything less than sheer, stan-like adoration, especially Carly Rae Jepsen, who interrupted “Backseat” for a quick rendition of pop music’s crowing achievement “Cut To The Feeling.”
More than anything, this evening celebrated femininity, a sentiment that resonates much more strongly in the midst of #MeToo. Instead of ending with the hit, “Boys,” she lets the ladies get the final say with the as-of-now unreleased “Girls Night Out,” a fast-paced anthem to dancing, glossier, and shrugging off any and all men. It felt more than appropriate; it felt freeing, exactly how Charli XCX wants all of pop music to feel.
Well, dancing is much better when you free things up…