Charli XCX Responds to the Reaction to “Rock Music”

Charli XCX has responded to the reaction to her new track “Rock Music,” which has drawn a split response since it surfaced last Friday. The song, from her upcoming project Reality Awaits, has already set off debate across the Stereogum extended universe, with some listeners reading it as a pointed joke and others taking it more seriously.

Among the responses, contributor Eli Enis said the song must be a joke, describing it as a self-destructive move after the broad praise around her Brat-era run. In our Discord, the reaction was mostly negative. Margaret Farrell, meanwhile, posted the track last Friday and seemed more taken with it than the rest of the staff.

Charli addressed the conversation in a new Instagram post. She wrote:

seeing all the different reactions to my song rock music has been really interesting. my friends and i have been discussing how in ways it reminds us of the initial discourse around pc music, how the label was deemed as almost critiquing or looking down on pop music or something, and there was an element of that with vroom vroom too when that ep came out. it’s all kind of fascinating. i love talking about music and art w my friends, so im happy people are throwing out thoughts. i’m not gonna explain where i was coming from with “rock music”, but all i know is that things can be funny, earnest, sincere, and joyful all at the same time and that’s what i feel about a lot of the things i make. anyways, just was thinking about things and thought i’d put them on the internet, will probably regret it lol

The post frames the reaction to “Rock Music” as familiar territory for Charli, who points back to the early discourse around PC Music and the response to the Vroom Vroom EP. She does not explain the song’s intent, but says she sees the same blend of humor, sincerity, and joy in the work she makes.

Listen again below.