Huge pop star follows Taylor Swift’s lead and asks rocker boyfriend to help write her new album
TAYLOR SWIFT is working with her The 1975 boyfriend Matty Healy and now Charli XCX is following suit.
I told yesterday how the superstar was teaming up with Matty but it seems Charli had the idea first, as she has already been in the studio with her partner, The 1975’s drummer and lyricist George Daniel.
But it might lead to a surprise for her fans, as she has revealed the move means she could turn her back on pop after a decade in the game to sound more like influential rock band The Velvet Underground.
In an exclusive interview, the Boom Clap singer, who started dating George a year ago, said: “Now that I’m in a relationship with another musician he’s influenced me a lot with his process and how he and his band work.
“It’s really different to how I work and that has definitely influenced me and my process. I used to be very, ‘Quick, quick, quick, album a month, let’s go’.
“Now I’m like, ‘Oh, maybe it’s cool to take some time and live in the music that you create.’ My process is definitely evolving.
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“I’ve always been very much a spontaneous, go in the room and see what happens type of a songwriter and I’ve never really cared to prep or think about what I want to say.
“But actually my process has completely changed and I’m thinking a lot more about being hyper-specific especially with my lyrical content.
“To me that kind of takes like planning and thinking, I’m channelling my inner bitch a lot more.”
Charli has had huge success as both a pop star in her own right and as a songwriter, having written Senorita for Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, as well as Same Old Love for Selena Gomez.
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Then last year she topped the album chart for the first time with her fifth record, Crash.
But her next could sound very different.
She explained: “I’m constantly evolving and I’m getting to know myself better as a person and feel more confident in my artistry.
“I always kind of feel that when I finish an album cycle and I’m beginning a new one that I should try and make my version of The Velvet Underground.
“That’s where I’ve landed, like a Velvets type thing, but my version.”
NELLY PLOTS RETURN
NELLY FURTADO is working on a comeback.
The Canadian singer, who’s had three No1s including Maneater, said: “I have so much music.
I’ve recorded a hundred songs in the last 18 months, and I’m so excited to bring people new music.”
She told Fault magazine: “I’ve surrounded myself with so many creative people in the studio over the last year.
“I’ve taken a ‘the more, the merrier’ approach and understood that you have to be open to staying excited and fresh.
“It’s all about staying creative, being out there, listening to music, and being in the mix.”
TAKE A BOA, HARRY
HARRY STYLES looked right at home as he returned to the stage in the UK.
He wore this purple feather boa and dazzling yellow and brown shirt at Coventry Building Society Arena on Monday night, where he kicked off the second leg of the British part of his tour.
He has now played 144 gigs as part of his Love On Tour global trek.
On Monday, as he sang Sign Of The Times, fans held up pink and red lights for the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing on the sixth anniversary.
Harry, who kicked off his tour in Las Vegas in September 2021, will finish in Italy in July. But before that he will play stadiums in Edinburgh, London and Cardiff.
Logical move for Kim
DAVID GUETTA has teamed up with Ella Henderson, Bebe Rexha and Anne-Marie for hits and now he’s turned to another young pop star – Kim Petras.
The French DJ has enlisted the German singer for the track ID, and just like his recent tunes I’m Good (Blue) and Baby Don’t Hurt Me, it samples a retro dance banger.
It is inspired by Scooter's No2 single The Logical Song from 2002, which is perfect for Kim given she has told of her love of Europop.
That won’t be the only music from the Unholy singer this year though as yesterday she revealed the tracklist to her debut album Feed The Beast.
Out on June 23, it will include songs titled King Of Hearts, Sex Talk and a collaboration with Banks called Bait.
Lew ’n’ behold
HIS new album, Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent, is on course to become the fastest-selling record of the year on Friday.
And to celebrate, Lewis Capaldi has announced his most intimate gig to date.
The Someone You Loved singer will play The Wardrobe in Leeds on June 6.
The gig has been put on by Reading and Leeds Festivals, who wanted to give fans a chance to catch Lewis up close and personal before he takes to their main stages in August.
BECKY AND JASON DUET
THEY appeared alongside each other on BBC Three’s Project Icon earlier this year, and now Becky Hill and Jason Derulo could join up again to work on their own song.
The pair has revealed they are discussing a collaboration after hitting it off on the show, where they were joined by Jason’s manager Frank Harris.
Asked about the prospect of a duet, Becky told me: “It’s being talked about. We just haven’t found the right track yet but yeah.
“I loved working with them both. It’s inspiring, I learnt quite a lot from him.
“He’s great and hopefully there will be another Project Icon series. I haven’t been asked yet but fingers crossed.”
Becky has just released her single Side Effects, with Lewis Thompson.
It will be on her second album, which will likely feature a couple of other collaborations, despite her previously saying she didn’t want to do more.
She explained: “I’m trying to get a single with Chase & Status. They’ve made one of the tracks on the album, I just need to have that conversation about them featuring. But they’re my heroes.
“I’m not closed off to the idea of featuring.
"It’s been a major part of my career but I would love to start stepping out on my own two feet now. I feel like this album will do that.”
Def not a gig to miss
CAUGHT LIVE
Def Leppard @ Sheffield Utd’s Bramall Lane
★★★★★
IT was a homecoming like no other – and when Def Leppard returned to Sheffield for a huge sell-out show at Bramall Lane football stadium, fans were left feeling a little, well, deaf.
My ears were ringing from explosive guitar riffs, a sensational drum solo from the one-armed Rick Allen and big vocals of singer Joe Elliott.
Veteran rockers Motley Crue opened for the band and while their set was as full-on as you’d imagine, drummer Tommy Lee telling fans to get their “t*tties” out does not translate as well now as it once did.
And that was no more obvious than when a woman lifted up her shirt, only to be mistaken for a man by the hedonistic rocker.
Time to head to Specsavers, Tommy. There was nothing outdated about the main event though.
As they thrashed through my favourites – Let’s Get Rocked, Pour Some Sugar On Me, Hysteria and Photograph – Def Leppard barely took a breath.
The biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Rick and his outstanding drum solo, which for a bloke who lost one of his arms in car accident in 1984 is as remarkable as it is impressive.
Frontman Joe and his bandmates Rick, , Rick Savage and Vivian Campbell appeared overcome at times when they spoke to the crowd.
Joe said: “Monday night in Sheffield, all these years later, thank you for coming. We are loving this.
“I know a lot of people have come from all over the world to see where this band was born. “What a joy and a pleasure it is to bring it back here all these years later. It’s f**ing great.”
I could not have agreed more.
- Ellie Henman
CARDI LOOKS ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
CARDI B is always a colourful character but she took it up a notch with this vivid hooded catsuit.
She wore the skin-tight outfit – which looked far better on her than me, top – in Los Angeles where she launched the lime-flavoured variety of her vodka whipped cream WhipShots.
The Wap rapper launched the squirty snack in 2021, saying she was “completely innovating whipped cream and giving it an extra pop.”
I’m not sure it was something crying out or reinvention – but she sure looks good while doing it.
She teetered on towering shoes, which were void of heels, and stuck huge hoops in her ears for the occasion.
It shouldn’t be long before she is in more flamboyant outfits to launch something more exciting – new music.
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Cardi is rumoured to have made a song with SHAKIRA that could be out this year.
She has also been hard at work on her second album, so there’s plenty to look forward to.