A definitive ranking of Charli XCX’s collaborations, from worst to best
From “I Love It” to “Xcxoplex,” here’s the complete ranking of all the songs where Charli XCX teams up with other artists
Music Features Charli XCX
Main image: Charli XCX (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images); clockwise from top left: Christine And The Queens (Photo: Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images), Rina Sawayama (Photo: Tristan Fewings/Getty Images), Troye Sivan (Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images), and Tove Lo (Photo: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) Graphic: Natalie Peeples
Charli XCX reigns as the queen of contemporary pop collaborations. Over the course of her career, she’s built a name off of not only her infectious club bangers, but the collaborative spirit imbued in her work. Aside from her quarantine album, how i’m feeling now, every other album/mixtape is filled to the brim with collaborations with other musicians, rappers, and producers. Here, we’ve ranked all of those team-ups: her best and worst tracks, and how well they blend her sensibilities with each collaborator’s distinct flair.
17 Comments
It’s a bit odd how the blurbs for almost 80% of this list are largely critical. Anyway, it was nice to be reminded of a lot of great Charli songs! She rocks.
holy hell, 50 slides feels more like a personal vendetta than anything anyone will seriously want to read. Have we hit peak slide show yet?
Good call on “Babygirl” and “Backseat” near the top. I don’t like the top 3 as much; “I Love It” would have been a suitable #1. “After the Afterparty” and “Doing It” are both pretty bad, but on the other hand I have a soft spot for “Drop That Kitty”, even if it kind of wastes both XCX and Tinashe. I also enjoy “Spicy”, slight as it is.
Missed one:
I really think 52 slides was more than enough. Waiting for the “official every Steve Allen song ever ranking” for a 1000 page slide show.
A 52 page slideshow? Guess I’ll never know what collabs were good or bad.
The planet will end, humanity will die, and somehow The AV Club (Jim Spanfeller edition) will still pump out absurdly long slideshows. The number of people who finish these will only go from 5 to 0.
Had no idea who Charlie XCX was, skimmed through list.Now I can say, thank you Ms XCX, your collaboration on one song (and the only good part of it) led to my favorite song parody.
Being a musician these days sounds exhausting.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been a Charli XCX fan for a decade at this point, but once we get into the top 25 or so and so many of the blurbs are “Good song, coulda been better,” I’m just losing it a little. I mean, yeah. Maybe songs could be developed one way or another, maybe they could be more substantive, but they’re not. Who cares? The songs, by and large, RULE!!! If it hits that pop sweet spot, that’s all that matters.
I’m 70 and I love her. Great in the car stuff.
I like the verses on Dreamer. I know they’re not technically amazing or even great but they still work and are memorable for their repetitiveness.And Drugs is forgettable??? F outta here, that’s one of my favorites off of there lol. ABRA is great.
I either have accidentally double clicked at some point or you left out her Mr Oizo collaboration, which wouldn’t make this a complete ranking.
Another one this ‘definitive’ list missed.
lol not definitive
She collaborated with Grimes?
I heard Grimes for years and never noticed her lisp in her singing. Then I heard a Grimes interview and heard the lisp. Then I told myself I’m gonna try and hear it in her singing and I did and haven’t been able to unhear it since. Note here in this demo track how she sings “Silver Skies” It sounds like “Thilver Skies” It’s actually endearing. I love Grimes as if I knew her in another life.
My favorite isn’t on here, Hand in the Fire with Mr. Oizo. I only know it because of Mr. Oizo.