Charli XCX unveils 'Music, Fashion, Film' album with iconic cover

British pop star Charli XCX announced her seventh studio album, Music, Fashion, Film, slated for release on 24 July 2026. The 11‑track record runs 30 minutes 5 seconds and is promoted by the singles “Rock Music” and “SS26”. The black‑and‑white cover, shot by longtime collaborator Aidan Zamiri, features three cultural legends – Velvet Underground co‑founder John Cale, fashion designer Marc Jacobs and filmmaker Martin Scorsese – each representing a word from the album’s title.

Charli said the project marks a deliberate shift from the hyper‑pop sound of her Grammy‑winning 2024 album brat. She told fans on TikTok that she “made an album and it’s really different from the last one… you might not like it, and that’s cool.” In interviews she described the cover shoot as making her feel “genuinely shook” for the first time and noted her personal connections with the three figures: a prior collaboration with Cale on the Wuthering Heights soundtrack, fashion campaigns with Jacobs, and several conversations with Scorsese about film.

The album’s lyrical tone is darker, with “Rock Music” declaring “I think the dancefloor is dead” and “SS26” warning that “nothing’s gonna save us, not music, fashion or film.” Critics have described the new direction as noisier and guitar‑driven, sparking debate among fans about whether the shift will sustain Charli’s recent commercial momentum.