Charli XCX gives the impression that no one tells her what to do, but it’s hard to avoid the sense that a whole lot of people are trying anyway. A superstar in waiting whose precocious early teenage career gave way more recently to a streak of inescapable songwriting credits, the now 22-year old British singer seems on the cusp of something so big you can practically hear the wheels of industry spinning to get ahead of her success.
After all, Charli XCX (born Charlotte Aitchison) followed her role writing Icona Pop’s smash “I Love It” with a hand in Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy,” then topped it all off with her own hit, “Boom Clap,” the lead single from her upcoming album “Sucker.” Charli XCX’s previous album, 2013’s “True Romance,” didn’t get much traction. “Sucker,” on the other hand, is being positioned as a world-conquering platform, and the singer’s performance at Lincoln Hall Monday night seemed as much a showcase as a tease that you may never see the singer in such a small venue ever again.
Certainly all the right pieces of the pop package appeared to be in place. An all-female backing band clad in matching cheerleader outfits? Check. Some sneaky pre-recorded backing music to make sure no one missed a beat? Check. Songs co-written by some of Scandinavia’s chart-friendly best? Check. None of which would mean much minus Charli XCX’s considerable charisma. Despite the shallow, pro forma stance of polished rebellion, she propelled herself with hyper-confidence, her pop bursting with attitude attuned to the themes that make teens tick, performed with a swagger enhanced rather than hurt by her lack of serious vocal chops.
Shifting between punky kiss-offs like “Sucker” and “Break the Rules” (from the new album) and moodier, more compelling electro-pop songs such as “Black Roses” and “Lock You Up” (from the old), tossing in versions of “I Love It” and a retooled “Fancy,” even offering a sly cover of Barrett Strong’s “Money” that was more Flying Lizards than Beatles, Charli XCX’s fun set flew by so frenetically it implied edge while carefully, calculatingly minimizing risk. Granted, pleasure for pleasure’s sake is one of the things pop does best, but perfunctory shout-outs to girl power aside, Charli XCX’s focus on the surface was frustrating. Attitude is a vital component of pop, dance and rock music, and Charli XCX straddled those worlds as well as anyone, but as the final notes of “Boom Clap” faded at the end of her set, the room, once elated, felt somewhat deflated, as if waiting for more than Charli XCX, however capable, was for the moment willing to offer.
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