Gilbert Flores/Variety
Charli XCX is literally taking an axe to the status quo. In a provocative teaser for her upcoming single, “Rock Music,” the pop visionary is seen violently stomping on an electric guitar, shattering the instrument with the sheer force of her heel.
The stark, black-and-white footage surfaced on Instagram this Thursday (May 7), punctuating weeks of cryptic teases regarding her next creative chapter. The clip focuses exclusively on the singer’s feet, clad in towering black stilettos; as they strike the instrument, a sudden, distorted barrage of fuzzy guitar chords and aggressive percussion erupts.
“Rock music. Song and video out tonight. 9pm PST,” she captioned the post.
The artist first hinted at a shift toward a grittier aesthetic during an April interview with British Vogue, where she offered a glimpse of the new track’s lyrical direction: “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we’re making rock music.”
“Had I produced another dance-centric album, it would have felt uninspired and emotionally draining,” she explained to the outlet. “The thrill for me lies in stretching the boundaries of how my perspective can be interpreted.”
Despite the aggressive title and visual, Charli has been quick to temper expectations regarding a full-blown genre pivot. In a recent studio update on social media, she shared behind-the-scenes footage, noting, “A video of me crafting a track titled ‘Rock Music’—which, ironically, isn’t actually rock music. It’s funny because I never claimed to be making a rock album.”
“Rock Music” arrives as the musician’s first new offering following her Wuthering Heights companion project, which debuted in February and climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard 200. This follows her massive critical and commercial triumph, Brat, which peaked at No. 3 and firmly solidified her status as a global pop powerhouse.
Experience the teaser for “Rock Music” below.
