Charli XCX has taken the music world by storm with her latest project during 2024’s “Brat Summer,” suggesting an innovative approach with a new music video that hints at an army of clones. The video for the song “Residue,” produced by her frequent collaborator A.G. Cook, was released on Tuesday and serves as a precursor to Charli’s upcoming film, The Moment. This film, which Charli described as a “tour mockumentary,” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, over the weekend and is slated for a nationwide release on February 6. The film, directed by Aidan Zamiri—who also directed the “Residue” video—promises to showcase Charli’s artistic evolution.
In the music video, viewers see Charli in a dimly-lit warehouse, where she encounters her lookalikes lurking in the shadows. The imagery builds a captivating narrative as she navigates through stacks of plastic-wrapped Brat merchandise until she reaches a room filled with her multiplicitous clones. As these clones energetically whirl their dark hair to the lyrics of the song, the visual spectacle climaxes with a surprising twist: as the camera zooms in on a remaining silhouette, it is revealed to be none other than Kylie Jenner.
Kylie’s appearance in both the music video and The Moment has sparked interest, with critics already praising her performance. Jason P. Frank from Vulture hailed Jenner’s brief role as one of the film’s standout moments, noting her “legitimate chops as a comic actress.”
The Moment signifies a transformative phase for Charli as she wraps up her “slime green era,” which revitalized her career. Looking ahead, she revealed plans for new projects, including a companion album related to her upcoming film adaptation of Wuthering Heights directed by Emerald Fennell, set for release on February 13. During a Q&A session at Sundance, Charli expressed her desire to move beyond her Brat persona, focusing instead on personal growth and creative exploration. “As artists, you want to challenge yourself…totally switch the creative soup you’re in, and live in a different bowl for a while,” she stated, emphasizing her intent to evolve artistically.
As Charli XCX embraces this pivotal moment in her career, both fans and critics are eager to see how her innovative approaches will continue to shape the landscape of contemporary pop music.