Vroom Vroom (EP)

Last updated

Vroom Vroom
VroomVroomEP.png
EP by
Charli XCX
Released26 February 2016 (2016-02-26)
Recorded2015
Genre
Length12:19
Label
Producer
Charli XCX chronology
Sucker
(2014)		Vroom Vroom
(2016)		 Number 1 Angel
(2017)
Alternative cover
CharliXCX-VroomVroom-BratStyleCover.png
In anticipation of the release of Charli XCX's sixth studio album Brat , the cover art of her discography has been updated on streaming platforms.

Vroom Vroom is the second extended play by English singer Charli XCX, released on 26 February 2016 by Vroom Vroom Recordings. [2] [3] It features production work from Scottish producer Sophie. [4]

Contents

The EP's experimental pop sound divided critics and fans upon release but accrued a cult following, and has been retrospectively credited as a pioneering work in what would later be termed the hyperpop movement. [5] [6]

Background and release

In July 2015, in an interview with British fashion magazine i-D , Charli XCX said that she was working on her third album and described it as "the most pop thing, and the most electronic thing" she had done. [7] Scottish producer Sophie was confirmed to be involved in the album's production. In October 2015, Charli XCX released "Vroom Vroom", which was the first song released from the EP, on the Beats 1 Radio Show, then claiming it would be the first song released from her third studio album.

On 23 February 2016, it was announced that Charli XCX had set up a new record label, Vroom Vroom Recordings, and that she would release an EP titled Vroom Vroom on 27 February 2016. The second song released from the EP, titled "Trophy", received its first play on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show on that night. [2] Charli XCX will also host her own Beats 1 show fortnightly. [8]

Charli XCX released a music video for the song "Vroom Vroom" on 22 April 2016 via Apple Music. [9] On 27 May 2016, an autographed vinyl version of the EP was released in a limited run of 1,000 copies by Warner Music. [10]

On 29 August 2020, 2,000 copies of the EP were released on transparent vinyl for Record Store Day. [11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 64/100 [12]
Review scores
SourceRating
Drowned in Sound 5/10 [13]
Exclaim! 6/10 [14]
The Line of Best Fit 8/10 [15]
Pitchfork 4.5/10 [16]
Resident Advisor Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [17]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Spin 8/10 [19]
Tiny Mix Tapes TMT full.svgTMT full.svgTMT full.svgTMT full.svgTMT half.svg [20]

At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 64, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on nine reviews. [21]

Spin gave the album a favorable review, stating that, "Vroom Vroom is scintillating new ground for Charli, totally unlike anything she's ever done before, and still quintessentially her in its streamlined, indomitable turbo-pop." [19] Tiny Mix Tapes wrote "this is pop music reinventing itself, reasserting its autonomy", describing Sophie's production as "like liquid metal or maybe the noise equivalent of non-Euclidean geometry." [20] The Line of Best Fit wrote that the album "sounds like a kind of nihilist, amphetamine laden rebellion; A mish mash of poppy melodies, rap, trap beats and doom ridden synth which, though on paper sounds like chaos, is clearly painstakingly curated." [15]

Ian Gormely of Exclaim! praised "Paradise" as the "standout" track, but criticized Sophie's utilisation of vocals "across the entire EP" and expressed that the compatibility of Charli and Sophie ranged from "unstoppable" to "shoehorned". Gormely concluded that "there's enough that works on Vroom Vroom to hope that it's the beginning of something much bigger". [14] Drowned in Sound 's Lee Adcock compared the EP positively to Charli's previous album Sucker , but criticized its usage of "pre-established styles of other black artists" to create "PG-rated, glittery sketches of excess bling and forbidden love". [13] In April 2022, Clash 's Ruby Carter characterized the EP as a "blueprint for bubblegum pop" that cemented Charli's "vision for Charli 2.0 and a predecessor for her more experimental work on Pop 2 , Charli , and How I'm Feeling Now ." [22]

In a negative review for Pitchfork , Laura Snapes wrote that "no one is being done any favors reducing Charli XCX to a vapid cypher, particularly as it drains her vivid personality from the work". [16] However, in November 2019, Snapes expressed regret about her review, tweeting that she would like to "publicly disavow the nonsense" she wrote about the EP. [23] In October 2021, Pitchfork included it in their "Rescored" list, with Cat Zhang suggesting an adjustment of the EP's score from 4.5 to 7.8, retrospectively claiming that, "[a]t the time, many critics seemed to be paranoid about PC Music's motives. Nervous that they'd be bamboozled, they obsessed over whether a pop experiment was either satire or sincere." [24]

Track listing

Vroom Vroom [25]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Vroom Vroom"
  • Sophie
  • Martin Stilling [a]
  • Patrik Berger [a]
3:13
2."Paradise" (featuring Hannah Diamond)
  • Sophie
  • Stilling [a]
  • Berger [a]
3:01
3."Trophy"
  • Aitchison
  • Xeon
  • Bao
  • Warner
  • Berger
  • Sophie
  • Stilling [a]
  • Berger [a]
  • Hal Ritson [b]
  • Richard Adlam [b]
2:39
4."Secret (Shh)"
  • Sophie
  • Harsh
3:25
Total length:12:18

Notes

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [25]

Charts

Vroom Vroom (single)

Chart (2016)Peak
position
UK Vinyl Singles (OCC) [27] 1
UK Physical Singles Chart (OCC) [28] 2

Vroom Vroom EP

Chart (2016)Peak
position
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums (Billboard) [29] 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charli XCX</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1992)

Charlotte Emma Aitchison, known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery by a promoter who invited her to perform at warehouse raves. In 2010, she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records, releasing a series of singles and mixtapes throughout 2011 and 2012.

<i>True Romance</i> (Charli XCX album) 2013 studio album by Charli XCX

True Romance is the debut studio album by English singer Charli XCX. It was released on 12 April 2013 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. Originally scheduled for release in April 2012, the album's release was delayed for a full year and had been in the making since early 2010 when Charli met with producer Ariel Rechtshaid in Los Angeles. To promote the album's release, Charli embarked on a three-date UK promotional tour in April 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You (Ha Ha Ha)</span> 2013 single by Charli XCX

"You (Ha Ha Ha)" is a song by British singer Charli XCX taken from her major label debut studio album, True Romance (2013). It was released as the album's 4th single in February 2013, along with several remixes. A music video for the song was released on YouTube on 10 January 2013.

English singer Charli XCX has released six studio albums, four mixtapes, three extended plays, one live album, one soundtrack album, two DJ mixes, 48 singles, and 13 promotional singles. In 2007, XCX began recording her debut album on a loan granted by her parents. Titled 14, after her age at the time, it received only a restricted public release. Two singles, "!Franchesckaar!" and double A-side "Emelline" / "Art Bitch", were released in late 2008 under Orgy Music. In June 2012, Charli XCX released her first mixtape, titled Heartbreaks and Earthquakes, a one-track file consisting of eight songs. A second mixtape, titled Super Ultra, was released in November of the same year. Charli XCX's major-label debut studio album, True Romance, was released in April 2013, and peaked at number 85 on the UK Albums Chart. While failing to appear on any main album charts internationally, the album reached number five on the Heatseekers Albums chart in the United States and number 11 on the ARIA Hitseekers chart in Australia. The album spawned five singles—"Stay Away", "Nuclear Seasons", "You're the One", "You " and "What I Like". In 2012, Charli XCX was featured on Icona Pop's song "I Love It", which peaked at number one in the UK and reached the top 10 in various countries including the US, Canada, Ireland and Germany.

<i>Sucker</i> (Charli XCX album) 2014 studio album by Charli XCX

Sucker is the second studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2014 by Asylum and Atlantic Records. The album was met with positive reviews from critics, praising its throwback style, and ended up being included on many year-end lists for best albums of 2014. Sucker spawned the singles "Boom Clap", "Break the Rules", "Doing It" and "Famous".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sophie (musician)</span> Scottish music producer and DJ (1986–2021)

Sophie Xeon, known mononymously as SOPHIE, was a Scottish music producer, songwriter, and DJ. Sophie's work is known for its brash take on pop music and is distinguished by experimental sound design, "sugary" synthesized textures, and incorporation of influences from underground dance styles. It would help pioneer the 2010s hyperpop microgenre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PC Music</span> UK-based record label and art collective

PC Music is a record label and art collective based in London and run by producer A. G. Cook. It was founded in 2013, uploading its first releases to SoundCloud that year. Artists on its roster have included Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, Danny L Harle, EASYFUN, Namasenda, and Planet 1999. The label's releases have been showcased on the compilations PC Music Volume 1 (2015), Volume 2 (2016), and Volume 3 (2022). Following a decade-long run, since 2024 the label is now only dedicated to archival projects and special reissues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. G. Cook</span> British music producer (born 1990)

Alexander Guy Cook is an English music producer and the head of the UK record label PC Music. Cook released his first solo singles in 2014. He has also collaborated with PC Music artists such as Hannah Diamond, GFOTY, EASYFUN, Danny L Harle and felicita. He formed the one-off project QT with musician Sophie and performance artist Hayden Dunham, producing the 2014 single "Hey QT".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hannah Diamond</span> British singer, songwriter, photographer and visual artist

Hannah Amond, known professionally as Hannah Diamond, is an English singer, songwriter, photographer, and visual artist. She has recorded on A.G. Cook's PC Music label since 2013, beginning with her debut single "Pink and Blue". Her music and visual art employs an aesthetic of hyperreality and heavily produced cuteness in tension with sincerity. Diamond released her debut studio album, Reflections, in November 2019. Her second studio album, Perfect Picture, was released in October 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noonie Bao</span> Swedish singer and songwriter (born 1987)

Jonnali Mikaela Parmenius, better known by the stage name Noonie Bao, is a Swedish singer, songwriter and record producer. She has written songs for artists such as Don Diablo, Ava Max, Katy Perry, Zara Larsson, Charli XCX, Camila Cabello, Zedd, Avicii, Kygo, David Guetta, Clean Bandit, Alesso, Feed Me and Carly Rae Jepsen.

"Vroom Vroom" is a song by English singer Charli XCX from her 2016 EP of the same name.

<i>Number 1 Angel</i> 2017 mixtape by Charli XCX

Number 1 Angel is the third mixtape by British singer Charli XCX, released on 10 March 2017 by Asylum Records. The mixtape contains ten tracks and was created in Los Angeles as a collaboration with producer A. G. Cook, the founder of PC Music. Several other producers associated with the label also contributed to the mixtape, including Sophie who previously produced Charli XCX's extended play Vroom Vroom. Musically, it has been labeled as avant-pop and electropop.

<i>Pop 2</i> (mixtape) 2017 mixtape by Charli XCX

Pop 2 is the fourth mixtape by British singer Charli XCX, released on 15 December 2017 by Asylum Records. Executive produced by A. G. Cook of PC Music, sessions for the mixtape began just several months before its release and featured a wide variety of guest contributions. The mixtape was backed by its only single "Out of My Head" featuring Alma and Tove Lo, released exactly one week before its release.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blame It on Your Love</span> 2019 single by Charli XCX featuring Lizzo

"Blame It on Your Love" is a song by English singer Charli XCX featuring American singer and rapper Lizzo. It was released on 15 May 2019 as the second single from Charli XCX's third studio album, Charli, and soon after debuted on BBC Radio 1 as Annie Mac's "Hottest Record in the World". It is Charli XCX's first single since her 2018 collaboration with Troye Sivan, "1999". The single is a reworked version of "Track 10", the final track from Charli XCX's mixtape Pop 2 (2017). The music video was released on 13 June 2019.

<i>Charli</i> (album) 2019 studio album by Charli XCX

Charli is the third studio album by British singer Charli XCX. It was released through Asylum and Atlantic Records UK on 13 September 2019. Charli was preceded by the singles "1999" with Troye Sivan, "Blame It on Your Love" featuring Lizzo, and "Gone" with Christine and the Queens. Charli was also promoted by the promotional singles "Cross You Out" featuring Sky Ferreira, "Warm" featuring Haim, "February 2017" featuring Clairo and Yaeji, and "2099" also featuring Sivan. Musically, it has been described as avant-pop, electropop, futurepop, and hyperpop.

<i>How Im Feeling Now</i> 2020 studio album by Charli XCX

How I'm Feeling Now is the fourth studio album by British singer Charli XCX, released on 15 May 2020. Released eight months after her previous LP, Charli (2019), the album was conceived in the span of six weeks during the COVID-19 lockdown in a "do it yourself" collaborative process with her fans. Charli XCX, A. G. Cook and BJ Burton served as the album's executive producers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinning (song)</span> 2021 single by No Rome, Charli XCX and The 1975

"Spinning" is a song by Filipino recording artist No Rome, English musician Charli XCX and band the 1975. The song was written by Andrew Wyatt, Charli XCX, No Rome and the 1975 members Matty Healy and George Daniel, while the production was handled by the latter three. It was released as a standalone single by Dirty Hit on 4 March 2021. Creation of the song began in 2018 when the producers developed its chorus, beat and production. Charli XCX received the song the following year, writing and recording her portion in one night. The singer later recorded vocals with Healy and Daniel in Sydney, while the song was completed remotely in early 2021.

<i>Crash</i> (Charli XCX album) 2022 studio album by Charli XCX

Crash is the fifth studio album by British singer Charli XCX, released on 18 March 2022. It was her last album to be released under her record contract with Asylum Records. Charli announced the album title, release date, and artwork on 4 November 2021. Her website was also updated with information about the album's 2022 tour. The album was preceded by the four singles "Good Ones", "New Shapes" featuring Christine and the Queens and Caroline Polachek, "Beg for You" featuring Rina Sawayama, "Baby" and two promotional singles, "Every Rule" and "Used to Know Me", the latter released as the fifth single in April 2022.

<i>Brat</i> (Charli XCX album) 2024 studio album by Charli XCX

Brat is the sixth studio album by English singer Charli XCX, released through Atlantic Records on 7 June 2024. She announced the record on 28 February 2024, and released the first single, "Von Dutch", the next day. The second single from the album, "360", was released on 10 May 2024. Charli described the album as being aggressive and confrontational.

References

  1. ↑ Knopper, Steve (19 March 2016). "Charli XCX Explores New Avant-Pop Direction with Sophie at SXSW". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Charli XCX Hoists New Track 'Trophy,' Preps 'Vroom Vroom' EP". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 7 July 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  3. ↑ "Charli XCX unveils 'Vroom Vroom' EP and announces new record label". NME.
  4. ↑ Lee, Morgan. "StreamCharli XC's Sophie-produced Vroom Vroom EP Archived 1 April 2016 at the Wayback Machine . Fact .
  5. ↑ Droke, Carolyn (5 October 2021). "Charli XCX Had A Succinct Response To Pitchfork Re-Scoring Her 2016 'Vroom Vroom' EP". Uproxx. Archived from the original on 10 August 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  6. ↑ Murphy, Sam (26 February 2021). "Five Years On, Charli XCX & SOPHIE's 'Vroom Vroom' Still Sounds Like The Future". Junkee.
  7. ↑ "Seven Minutes with Charli XCX". i-D magazine. Archived from the original on 2 September 2015. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  8. ↑ "Charli XCX". Atlantic Records. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016.
  9. ↑ Carley, Brennan (22 April 2016). "Charli XCX's Video Is Sleek, Sensational, and Star-Making". Spin. Archived from the original on 25 April 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "Vroom Vroom Vinyl EP (Autographed)". Warner Music Store. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Charli XCX - Record Store Day". Record Store Day. Archived from the original on 10 February 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  12. ↑ "Vroom Vroom [EP] – Charli XCX". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  13. 1 2 Adcock, Lee. "Ep Review: Charli XCX – Vroom Vroom". Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  14. 1 2 Gormely, Ian (28 March 2016). "Charli XCX Vroom Vroom". Exclaim! . Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  15. 1 2 Smith, Emma (24 March 2016). "Vroom Vroom by Charli XCX – EP Review". The Line of Best Fit . Archived from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  16. 1 2 Snapes, Laura (23 March 2016). "Charli XCX: Vroom Vroom". Pitchfork . Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 15 June 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  17. ↑ "RA Reviews: Charli XCX – Vroom Vroom". Resident Advisor . 1 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  18. ↑ "Charli XCX 'Vroom Vroom' review". Rolling Stone . 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 6 April 2018. Retrieved 8 March 2016.
  19. 1 2 Unterberger, Andrew (2 March 2016). "Review: Charli XCX Speeds to Her Next Career Checkpoint on the 'Vroom Vroom' EP". Spin . Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  20. 1 2 David, S. "Charli XCX – Vroom Vroom [EP]". Tiny Mix Tapes . Archived from the original on 20 November 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  21. ↑ "Vroom Vroom Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
  22. ↑ Carter, Ruby (15 April 2022). "Charli XCX: Her 17 Best Songs". Clash Magazine . Archived from the original on 13 December 2023. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
  23. ↑ Snapes, Laura [@laurasnapes] (2 November 2019). "also would like to take this opportunity to publicly disavowed the nonsense I wrote about vroom vroom" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2019– via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "Pitchfork Reviews: Rescored". Pitchfork. 5 October 2021. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  25. 1 2 "Credits / Vroom Vroom / Charli XCX". Tidal. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  26. ↑ Empire, Kitty (23 April 2017). "Charli XCX review – sugar, smut and smart pop philosophy". The Guardian . Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  27. ↑ "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  28. ↑ "Official Vinyl Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  29. ↑ "Charli XCX Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.