Putting aside the hits, the songwriting credits and the stage-wear for a moment, by far the most compelling thing about Charli XCX, the thing that should really be mentioned at every opportunity, is that she can see sounds. Charlotte Aitchison has synaesthesia, which means music appears to her as colours. Her preferred musical shades are black, pink, purple or red, and she knows a song has gone off if it turns green, yellow or brown.
This casts a whole new light (pun intended) on her career to date. You can imagine maybe a crimson sparkle or two for her earliest demos, made with money borrowed from her parents. Then some purple flashes for her early singles, the tunes that first got her noticed, like Stay Away and You’re The One. Then a veritable kaleidoscope explosion for Icona Pop’s I Love It, which she co-wrote, and Iggy Azalea’s Fancy, on which she made a vivid guest appearance. Whereas her solo hits Boom Clap, Break The Rules and Doing It (featuring Rita Ora) flare up like an all-night firework display after spending a week with your eyes closed.
Putting aside the hits, the songwriting credits and the stage-wear for a moment, by far the most compelling thing about Charli XCX, the thing that should really be mentioned at every opportunity, is that she can see sounds. Charlotte Aitchison has synaesthesia, which means music appears to her as colours. Her preferred musical shades are black, pink, purple or red, and she knows a song has gone off if it turns green, yellow or brown.
This casts a whole new light (pun intended) on her career to date. You can imagine maybe a crimson sparkle or two for her earliest demos, made with money borrowed from her parents. Then some purple flashes for her early singles, the tunes that first got her noticed, like Stay Away and You’re The One. Then a veritable kaleidoscope explosion for Icona Pop’s I Love It, which she co-wrote, and Iggy Azalea’s Fancy, on which she made a vivid guest appearance. Whereas her solo hits Boom Clap, Break The Rules and Doing It (featuring Rita Ora) flare up like an all-night firework display after spending a week with your eyes closed.
