Charli xcx Drops ‘Rock Music’ and a Black-and-White Video Directed by Aidan Zamiri

Charli xcx released “Rock Music” today and debuted a black-and-white video directed by Aidan Zamiri. The clip opens with an amp thrown out of a window and follows the singer through central Manhattan as she sparks a moshpit and smokes on the street.

Charli xcx at The 2026 Met Gala Celebrating “Costume Art” held at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 04, 2026 in New York, New York.
Gilbert Flores/Variety

Video and sound

The official video leans into rock imagery but keeps a stripped-back palette. Shot in black and white, it stages Charli in minimal clothing, moving through the city and igniting a crowd.

Musically, “Rock Music” folds a guitar riff into a mid-paced electronic framework. Charli chops and splices her vocals in the chorus. The track is described as having a throwback edge and, as the release notes put it, feels closer to Daft Punk than Deep Purple.

Context

Charli previewed the new direction in an April interview with British Vogue, sharing a line from the song: “I think the dance floor is dead, so now we