There are two mysteries that plague certain pop music fans. One: who leaked Charli XCX’s scrapped third album, affectionately known as XCX World by her fans (Angels)?
The second mystery is what would the world be like if XCX World actually released as the album Charli envisioned?
Would it have been a massive success? How would XCX World impact her relationship with Atlantic Records? Would the label be able to support Charli? Especially when they were doubtful at the time of whether experimental pop was the right direction for her to go?
While it sucks that the album will never officially see the light of day, it’s hard to deny the impact it’s had on Charli’s career and pop music.
The Album That Almost Was
XCX World was recorded between early 2015 and 2017, with a version reportedly completed in 2016. The record was meant to be a mix of experimental, club-oriented pop with futuristic production from collaborators including SOPHIE, BloodPop, A.G. Cook, Stargate, and will.i.am.
The album was supposed to drop sometime between October 2016 and September 2017 through Asylum and Atlantic Records. The EP Vroom Vroom EP, was released on February 26, 2016 to introduce the album’s sound.
Unfortunately, Vroom Vroom freaked people out. A lot of pop critics and some fans found it off-putting. It sounded so different from typical pop records, which made her label nervous. It was a massive departure from the pop sound of True Romance and the punk energy she brought to Sucker.
Atlantic Records wanted something more commercial. Charli wanted to dive into the unknown. That conflict defined the entire process of making XCX World.
For the lead single “After the Afterparty”, Atlantic added a verse from rapper Lil Yachty without Charli planning for it. The label hoped the buzz he was getting at the time would help.
It didn’t with “After The Afterparty” underperforming on music charts. The controversial performance of unreleased track “Bounce” on Jimmy Kimmel only made things worse.
When that didn’t work, the label demanded she record more radio-friendly songs, which resulted in “Boys.”
The Leak That Changed Everything
Then in August 2017, Charli’s Google Drive was hacked. A massive number of tracks from XCX World leaked online.
When the album leaked, her label made the decision to not release it. With the album shelved, Charli started working on her self-titled album.
The leaks made Charli feel like her private and professional life had been invaded. She felt like all the money and time she had invested in those songs had been shoved back into her face. Now she had lost control of her own music.
Now, nearly a decade later, the album is still unreleased. SOPHIE’s death in January 2021 adds another painful layer. SOPHIE was a dear friend of Charli’s. Her passing, combined with the trauma of XCX World being rejected by her label then leaked, makes revisiting the project too painful.
Also to release it now, they’d have to find the original files to finish the songs. Plus the entire thing is already available to listen to online. There’s no reason for her label to release XCX World if they don’t believe it’ll make them any money.
How an Unreleased Album Became Influential
So how did an album that never officially came out influence pop music?
The leaks in 2017 meant that fans, other artists, and music producers could still hear the material. The songs were circulated across the web, especially among hyperpop and PC Music fans. The music was widely discussed, analyzed, and eventually celebrated.
The XCX World tracks put a spotlight on the heavily produced, glitchy, futuristic pop sound SOPHIE and A.G. Cook created. The experimental production was ahead of its time.
Even without an official release, this sound influenced other artists within and outside of the PC Music collective. It helped shape what later be known as “hyperpop“.
It also influenced Charli’s work. Working on XCX World put her in a position where she had to trust her intuition and stick to her guns. She continued to push the boundaries of the type of music she wanted to make. She blurred the line between experimental club music and insanely catchy pop music. From using effects and auto tune that turned her voice into an instrument to adopting a free-spirited party girl persona. Charli crafted a sound that was vulnerable yet authentic by embracing the artificial.
She released two mixtapes (Number 1 Angel in March 2017 and Pop 2 in December 2017) that expanded on what she was working on with XCX World. It wasn’t until the mixtapes were released that people became more receptive to Charli’s unique sound.
By 2019, Charli evolved her sound beyond what XCX World represented. Her next albums, Charli (2019), how i’m feeling now (2020) and Brat (2024), embraced an experimental approach to pop music.
Fans have called XCX World “a pop tragedy”. The album has achieved almost mythical status. It’s considered by many who’ve listened to the leaks to be some of the best pop music to be created.
What Could Have Been…
If XCX World did release back in 2016, would we have gotten Number 1 Angel and Pop 2? What about Brat or how I’m feeling now?
Would Charli have felt the need to release Crash? The 2022 album was supposed to be her last album with Atlantic. It was also her last attempt at releasing a “sellout” mainstream pop album.
Crash was her best-selling album at the time and laid the groundwork for Brat. Ironically, it also helped mend her relationship with Atlantic, which led to her renewing her contract with them.
The trajectory of Charli’s career could’ve been completely different if XCX World had come out as planned.
The rejection and leaks forced her to stand her ground. She eventually found a new audience on her own terms through the mixtapes. The cult following she cultivated would eventually lead to the success of later projects.
We’ll never know what would have happened if XCX World hadn’t leaked, yet the impact the process of making the album had is impressive.
XCX World exists in a strange space. It’s not a real album, but the tracks are out there. Its influence is real. So is the pain it caused Charli as she was working on the project. Yet XCX World proved that Charli’s instincts were correct, even if it took years for the industry and music fans to catch up. The album that doesn’t exist changed everything.
