Charli XCX has confirmed the release of her next studio album, Music, Fashion, Film, marking her first full-length album since the cultural and commercial impact of Brat and its subsequent remix project.
by Paul Cashmere
Charli XCX has announced her new album Music, Fashion, Film, which will be released on July 24 through Atlantic Records. The 11-track album arrives less than two years after Brat became one of the defining pop records of the decade, earning critical acclaim, Grammy recognition and inspiring the broader cultural phenomenon known as “Brat Summer”.
The announcement ends months of speculation surrounding the direction of Charli’s next project. Since the beginning of 2026 she has released the singles Rock Music and SS26, alongside accompanying B-sides, while also hinting at a significant stylistic shift. A British Vogue profile earlier this year fuelled reports that she was moving towards a rock-oriented sound, comments she later appeared to downplay on social media.
The album reveal provides the clearest indication yet of the creative framework behind the project. Music, Fashion, Film is presented as a convergence of three disciplines that have increasingly defined Charli’s public identity beyond music alone. The album artwork, photographed by Aidan Zamiri, features three prominent figures representing those worlds: founding Velvet Underground member John Cale, fashion designer Marc Jacobs and filmmaker Martin Scorsese.
In announcing the album, Charli confirmed its concise running time and track count.
“My new album Music, Fashion, Film is out July 24. 11 songs, 30 minutes, five seconds. “Love you,” she wrote on social media.
Two songs from the album have already been released. Rock Music introduced a guitar-heavy sound that contrasted sharply with the club-focused electronic production associated with Brat. The track generated discussion among fans and critics, with reactions ranging from praise for its experimentation to criticism of its lyrical approach and deliberate embrace of rock music stereotypes.
Follow-up single SS26 received a more broadly positive reception. Built around fashion-world imagery and a hook referencing the album’s title, the song further suggested that Charli is exploring the intersections between pop culture, style and celebrity in a way that extends beyond conventional album storytelling.
The project arrives during one of the busiest periods of Charli’s career. Earlier this year she released a companion soundtrack album for director Emerald Fennell’s film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. That project included House, a collaboration with John Cale, who now also appears on the cover of Music, Fashion, Film.
Beyond music, Charli has expanded her presence in film. She recently starred in and co-produced The Moment, a mockumentary inspired by the cultural impact of the Brat era. The film was directed by Zamiri, who also photographed the new album artwork. Her acting profile has continued to grow through a series of independent film projects, reflecting an increasing commitment to screen work alongside her recording career.
The significance of Music, Fashion, Film extends beyond the release of another album. Brat elevated Charli from a respected pop innovator to a mainstream cultural figure. The album’s success transformed her profile internationally, producing hit singles, major festival appearances and three Grammy Awards. Any follow-up was always likely to attract intense scrutiny.
Charli’s career has been defined by reinvention. Since emerging from London’s underground rave scene and achieving mainstream recognition through hits such as I Love It, Fancy and Boom Clap, she has repeatedly shifted direction, moving from commercial pop to experimental electronic music and back again. Albums including Charli, How I’m Feeling Now and Crash each explored different approaches while maintaining her reputation as one of pop’s more adventurous artists.
That history makes Music, Fashion, Film a significant test of where she moves next. While Brat captured a specific cultural moment, the new album appears positioned as a broader statement about the creative worlds Charli now inhabits. The title itself suggests an artist increasingly interested in operating across multiple disciplines rather than being confined solely to music.
The months ahead will provide a clearer picture of how audiences respond to that evolution. Charli is scheduled to headline major festival appearances including Lollapalooza, Outside Lands and Austin City Limits, performances likely to showcase material from the new album before and after its release.
For now, Music, Fashion, Film stands as one of the year’s most closely watched pop releases. Whether it extends the momentum generated by Brat or charts an entirely different course, Charli XCX has once again positioned herself at the centre of the conversation.
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