Charli XCX on her love of the “absolutely fabulous, twisted romp” of ‘Saltburn’
Charli XCX has written about her love of the “absolutely fabulous” screenplay for this year’s Saltburn, a film she sees as a “homage to the gay gothic genre”.
The film’s script was written by its director Emerald Fennell, who had previously made Promising Young Woman. A dark psychological thriller, it stars Barry Keoghan as an Oxford student who becomes obsessed with the private life and riches of a fellow student, played by Jacob Elordi.
Writing about the screenplay for Variety, Charli XCX said that the film brought her back to her teenage years growing up in Hertfordshire, “on a diet of Myspace, Skins and stick figure musicians with lopsided hair that I’d often read about in NME.”
“[Fennell] understands the moreishness of pop culture sprinkled with high art and explores the depth of emptiness in language with literal LOL results most evident with Rosamund Pike giving us absolutely nothing and EVERYTHING with her delivery of the line “Bliss!”, Charli wrote.
“And, honestly, what would 2023 even BE without Barry Keoghan slurping Jacob Elordi’s cum from a drain?!”
“No, but seriously, the homage to the gay gothic genre throughout this twisted romp was absolutely fabulous and whilst I’m hesitant to say that I identify with Keoghan’s character for obvious reasons, Fennell reminded me of the searing pain that is being the outsider looking in.”
“P.S. the music slapped,” she added. The film’s soundtrack includes songs by MGMT, Girls Aloud, Arcade Fire and Bloc Party.
Earlier this week, Charli revealed that she has been working on new music with her fiancé, George Daniel of The 1975.
“It’s funny, I have never been in a relationship with someone that I’ve worked with, so it’s like a whole new dynamic, but it’s cool,” she said. “There will probably be a couple of songs that he’s worked on with me.”
The ‘Boom Clap’ singer first began working with the drummer for The 1975 back in 2021, when they teamed up to record the track ‘Spinning’. They later went on to confirm their romance on social media last year, before confirming news of their engagement last month.
Specific details about Charli’s next studio album have yet to be announced, but she has confirmed that she has been in the studio to record some tracks for her sixth studio record and first LP since 2022’s ‘Crash’.
In the time since her fifth album dropped, the singer has shared various singles including one of the most popular songs of the summer, ‘Speed Drive’. Written as part of the soundtrack for the hit Greta Gerwig film Barbie, the track featured an interpolation of Toni Basil’s hit ‘Mickey’.
More recently, she dropped a collaborative track with Sam Smith titled ‘In The City’, which her fiancé also lent a hand to.
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Max Pilley
NME
