By Grace Koennecke, Reviews Editor and Copy Editor

[Atlantic Recording Corporation; 2024]

Rating: 9/10

The queen of hyperpop finally returned with her long-anticipated single, “Von dutch”. The track serves as the precursor to Charli XCX’s upcoming summer album, titled BRAT. On this track, the singer returns back to her club-anthem roots, with many strong influences from previous songs like “I Love It” and “Speed Drive.”

“Von dutch” feels like a high-speed chase, with growling bass and flashy synths matched with XCX’s signature autotune to make it a certified hit. In this song, she addresses her haters, flaunting her wealth and notoriety. The line we hear the most throughout the track is “I’m your number one”, and the singer’s confidence is hard to shake off after listening.

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The lyrics of this song are also just simply iconic, which comes as no surprise from Charli XCX’s knack for making her listeners feel cool and iconic like herself. She immediately targets rumors about her in the opening lines, saying, “It’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me / Yeah, I heard you talk about me, that’s the word on the street / “You’re obsessing, just confess it, put your hands up.”

Basically, don’t come for Charli, baby, or she’ll come for you. As a pop singer who many critics have argued has not received enough accolades or attention for her previous work, this song is finally the singer begging to be heard. 

Charli XCX has even teased this theme for the rest of her upcoming album, revealing in an interview with THE FACE, “I get tired of behaving in a way that people expect me, or expect pop stars, to behave. I’m not a role model – and I never did this because I wanted to be.” 

The following chorus comes in loud and clear, with the singer shouting, “I’m just living that life / Von dutch, cult classic, but I still pop / I get money, you get mad because the bank’s shut / Yeah, I know your little secret, put your hands up / It’s so obvious, I’m your number one, life.” What this part of the song does so well is prove the psychopathic behavior behind obsession, which the singer has become prone to online and in the real-world.

Another favorite line of mine is “Von dutch, cult classic in your eardrums / Why you lying? You won’t f*ck unless he’s famous / Do that little dance, without it, you’d be nameless”. A scorching jab at celebrities who essentially sleep their way to the top, XCX’s newfound confidence is what pushes the envelope.

Overall, Charli XCX is back to save pop music, and “Von dutch” is the perfect precursor to what fans can expect to hear in the summer with the release of BRAT.

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