Pop Perspective: Charli XCX & Lil Yachty’s “After The Afterparty” Rated & Reviewed
At Idolator, the editors share a passion for high-quality pop. Occasionally, our tastes align. Other times, not so much. So, in the spirit of debate (and online drama), we’ve developed a recurring feature called Pop Perspective. In a nutshell, our editors dissect a particularly noteworthy pop-event, and give it a rating out of 10.
That way you’re getting a full spectrum of views and we can all vent. (It’s cheaper than therapy!) The latest track to be dragged under the Idolator microscope is the first taste of Charli XCX’s third LP, “After The Afterparty.” Is the Lil Yachty-assisted bop a another pop classic like “Boom Clap” or a rare misstep? Read our thoughts below.
Robbie Daw — 1/10
Basic garbage with abysmal lyrics that could have been released by any no-name wannabe. Even Charli XCX must be disappointed in this single choice.
Rachel Sonis — 8/10
I dunno, I kind of love this song. I love that Charli XCX can make pop music that’s both infectious and relentlessly real. I love that she got Lil Boat on board and that they bonded over their mutual admiration for Panic! At The Disco. Honestly, I can see this being played at the end of any twee teen movie, Halloween rager or H&M in the land. And if this is any indication of what the rest of her album is going to sound like, then I’m excited.
Carl Williott — 5/10
I wanted to love the Vroom Vroom EP. SOPHIE can basically do no wrong in my eyes. But for whatever reason, everything Charli has done post-True Romance just hasn’t clicked with me.
I wanted to love this song. Lil Yachty can basically do no wrong in my eyes. But again, this leaves me unmoved. It’s basically the “if aliens landed on Earth” version of a millennial pop song, checking all the boxes with its “hey!” yelps, stadium rock beat, brainless yolo lyrics and euphoric digi squiggles. But instead of a great distillation of this moment, to me it’s just a superficial collection of fads. Maybe I’m getting too old for this party.
Mike Wass — 7/10
What happens when you mix Charli XCX with Stargate and a splash of SOPHIE? Somewhat unexpectedly, Bangerz-era Miley Cyrus returns from the dead. For me, “After The Afterparty” is something of a companion piece to “We Can’t Stop.” And like that modern classic, it’s more profound that the lyrics about getting glitter in your underpants would have you believe.
The indie-pop princess dances around the void, hints at the monotony of everyday life, before deciding to ignore it altogether and keep the party going at all costs. This isn’t a new philosophy, but the forced euphoria (which is actually kind of depressing) gives it an edge. “After The Afterparty” loses a point from me for trying to rhyme “sicker” with “Ibiza,” but apart from that I’m very much here for Charli 3.0.
AVERAGE SCORE: 5.25/10
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