Charli XCX Electrifies Reading Festival with Era-Spanning Set
BBC Newsbeat reports from Reading Festival:
Charli XCX delivered an electrifying headline set at Reading Festival, showcasing hits from her latest albums and her extensive back catalogue. This performance marked her first UK festival appearance since releasing Music, Fashion, Film, a record that shifts away from the culture-shaping electronic-pop of Brat towards a more rock-infused sound.
Her show featured elaborate staging, numerous costume changes, dramatic pyro, strobe lighting, and a live band, along with a host of dancers. Kicking off with distorted, black-and-white videos of Charli, the crowd erupted as she performed her new album's lead single, "Rock Music".
She followed with energetic renditions of "Wink Wink," "Yeah," and "Card Declined", then transitioned into more emotional tracks like "Track 10" from her 2017 mixtape and "House," a melancholic tune she co-wrote for the Wuthering Heights soundtrack.
The set's second half showcased her diverse catalog, from dance anthems like "Club Classics," "365," and Grammy-winning "Von Dutch" to more punk-inspired tracks from Music, Fashion, Film, culminating in the finale "No One Lasts Forever."
Earlier on the main stage, Fontaines DC and Skepta also delivered powerful performances. Fontaines DC's set included hits like "Favourite", "I Love You," and Grammy-nominated "Starbuster," while Skepta, performing amidst downpours, energized the crowd with "Praise the Lord (Da Shine)" (featuring A$AP Rocky) and "Victory Lap."