Singer and songwriter Charli XCX, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, is celebrating her birthday today. Born on 2 August 1992, in Cambridge, England, Charli started posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which soon led to her discovery and she signed a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010. The singer and songwriter has delivered several hits ever since. As the pop trailblazer celebrates her 31st birthday today, let’s take a look at the 5 best Charli XCX songs.
“Boys”
“Boys” was intended to be the second single from her third studio album that never happened. After the project was leaked and subsequently shelved, Charli released “Boys” in 2017 as a standalone track. The song is about dreaming about boys. Talking about the same, Charli had earlier said, “That’s it. It’s very simple.” The video of the song features Stormzy, Tom Daley, Riz Ahmed, and MNEK to name a few.
“Anthems”
There are many songs on How I’m Feeling Now, but “Anthems” hits the right chord and stands out from the rest. Written a few weeks into the coronavirus-induced lockdown, this Charli XCX offering is pretty edgy where she sings about partying and performing. The song is produced by PC Music wunderkind Danny L Harle and 100 Gecs’ Dylan Brady.
“Vroom Vroom”
“Vroom Vroom” deepened fans’ appreciation of Charli XCX’s incredible range as a pop star. The song features some sassy and uplifting lyrics. However, there are many fans who did not feel the same as they found it noisy and completely unhinged. The song marked the singer’s first association with visionary producer SOPHIE.
“Gone”
For “Gone,” Charli joins forces with Christine And The Queens’ Héloïse Letissier. The lyrics of the song are pretty sassy. Charli tackles her feelings of anxiety and isolation with specificity and poetic phrasing. She starts: “I feel so unstable, fucking hate these people/ How they’re making me feel lately.” Letissier sings: “I see myself and I look scared and confused/ Wait, did they just talk? Why is it loud?”
“Good Ones”
The lead single from Crash made a surprising comeback to charts after the lockdown-recorded How I’m Feeling Now. Charli deals here with the theme of self-destructiveness in relationships.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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