Song of the Week: Charli XCX Goes Haywire on “Von dutch”
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The post Song of the Week: Charli XCX Goes Haywire on “Von dutch” appeared first on Consequence.
Consequence’s Song of the Week highlights the latest and greatest new tracks each week. Find these new favorites and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist, and for other great songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Charli XCX returns with some fireworks.
Forget the ’80s pastiche of “New Shapes” or the early 2000s strut of “You Used to Know Me”: Charli XCX has made it back to the present, and it sounds like the future.
On her turbo-powered new single, “Von dutch,” the first offering from her forthcoming project Brat, Charli returns to the brash and brazen qualities of her early work while keeping her eyes on a fresh, futuristic sound. Fittingly, “Von dutch” was written and recorded during the same sessions that produced “Speed Drive,” Charli’s haywire, explosive song for the Barbie soundtrack. Here, producer Easyfun keeps the tempo flying, and with escalating synths that sound lifted from a jet turbine, Charli makes it sound like she’s careening towards a crash.
It’s not a new move for Charli XCX to embrace the idea that she’s untouchable. On “Von dutch,” she describes the type of “hater” that can’t stop giving her attention: “It’s okay to just admit that you’re jealous of me,” goes the song’s bratty opening, with Charli sneering “Yeah, I know your little secret” later on in the chorus. There’s no use pretending otherwise, Charli suggests. She knows you’re watching.
Charli has proven throughout the last decade that her voice is versatile and impressive. “Von dutch” is not adding to that legacy. She runs through the entire track on one root note, ending the phrases either a half-step higher or lower before going right back to that same tone. It lends a hypnotic air to “Von dutch,” made more surreal and engaging by the icy, industrial synths.
“Von dutch” is one of those songs with a music video that captures its spirit. Parading through Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport like she’s an action star fighting the cinematographer, Charli crawls on airplanes, hops turnstiles, and picks up cuts and bruises. It matches the high speed, hi-fi force that Easyfun imbues into the track, and Charli’s sharp gaze throughout makes her call of “I’m your number one” feel like a villain’s egotistical mantra.
Indeed, Charli is both villain and hero on “Von dutch” — she is absurd and uncannily real. She’s the patron saint of the club and the demon of the pop machine. She is utterly magnetic
— Paolo Ragusa
Associate Editor
Honorable Mentions:
bby — “kill me”
On the heels of their breakout single “hotline,” London quintet bby are back with “kill me.” In their signature bedroom indie rock style, bby bring both festival-ready sonics and a much wider spectrum of emotion than their previous tunes. Vocalist Benjy Gibson croons “You kill me so sweetly bug/ just thinking now fucks me up” with wholehearted earnestness, the brightness of the band’s guitars matching the raw sweetness of his vocals. There is both pleasure and pain in the romance of “kill me,” and bby make these concepts feel brand new. — P. Ragusa
Dog Date — “Nuff Said”
New York-based garage punk rockers Dog Date are back with a fuzzy barn burner, “Nuff Said.” The song blazes through its brief runtime, exploding with sonic energy, evocative guitars, punchy drums, and perfect shrieks. It benefits from a solid layer of noise, bursting with feedback and adding a near-tangible texture. “Nuff Said” demands attention, snapping anyone out of distraction and into a dazed state of rage. — Venus Rittenberg
fanclubwallet — “Easy”
The guitars in fanclubwallet’s new song “Easy” are so warm and indulgent that you could live inside them. Even with the track’s nervy air and quick tempo, there’s a dreamy, swirling gentleness that lives in every note — especially the song’s expansive, irresistible chorus. It’s the latest track from fanclubwallet’s forthcoming EP Our Bodies Paint Traffic Lines, and one of their most dynamic offerings yet. — P. Ragusa
Hinds — “Coffee”
Spanish indie rockers Hinds, now a duo, have released “Coffee,” an indie pop statement fueled by a simplistic-yet-stunning instrumental and drop-dead gorgeous lyrics. From the plain-stated opening line, “I like black coffee and cigarettes/ And flowers from boys that I’m not sleeping with,” to the pained bridge kicking off with “Was it me, was it life/ When did love get so fucked up?” the lyrical components of the song truly shine. Musically, the song is sunshine and whimsy, laying a pretty background for the vocals to rest atop while keeping a listener captivated. — V. Rittenberg
M(h)aol — “Pursuit”
Alongside the reissue of their 2023 album Attachment Styles, Irish post-punks M(h)aol have unleashed “Pursuit,” a blistering track that’s as dancy as it is dreary. Serving as Constance Keane’s first outing as lead vocalist, as last year saw the departure of previous vocalist Róisín Nic Ghearailt, “Pursuit” proves that even down one member, the band hasn’t lost any of their magic. The repetition of Keane’s lyrics and her dynamic performance make the noisy, syncopated instrumental all the more intense — a fitting vibe given the song’s grim subject matter. Watch out M(h)aol, they really know how to post their punk. — Jonah Krueger
Mo Troper — “The Billy Joel Fan Club”
Ironically, “The Billy Joel Fan Club” finds the illustrious Mo Troper channeling a different iconic songwriter — Paul McCartney. With its prancing piano and bright production, Troper packs as much melodic whimsey and lovey-dovey vibes as humanly possible into the tune’s bite-sized runtime. At the same time, while it sounds like the ’60s, it also feels like now, as Troper has mastered the signifiers of modern power-pop. All of which is to say, the damn song is a feel-good banger. — J. Krueger
Sycco – “I’d Love to Tell You”
Fall into a trippy daydream with the latest release from pop artist Sycco: “I’d Love to Tell You” is a club-ready bop here to kick off the weekend with a burst of energy. The song was produced by Styalz Fuego, who has previously worked with acts like MUNA and Troye Sivan, and this song from Sycco recalls a bit of the addictive energy that propelled Sivan’s “Rush” to the forefront of the pop conversation in 2023. — Mary Siroky
Song of the Week Single Artwork:
Top Songs Playlist:
Song of the Week: Charli XCX Goes Haywire on “Von dutch”
Paolo Ragusa
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