The last time I met Charli xcx, I was in a Los Angeles hotel room when she was in the thick of her Crash album cycle and stuck in Stranger Things’ Upside Down. It’s safe to say a lot has gone down since then: Charli broke into the mainstream with her Grammy-winning album, Brat, which sparked an iconic summer movement of the same name. She also swung the pendulum of pop culture with major appearances at Coachella and the Golden Globes, and kicked off her film career with projects like The Moment, Wuthering Heights, and 100 Nights of Hero. She may be the artist behind a song called “360,” but Charli’s world has taken a complete 180 since we last spoke.
Now, I’m serendipitously receiving voice memos from her in an L.A. hotel room yet again, and pop music’s favorite party girl is officially a poppi girl—yes, the prebiotic bubbly beverage we all know and love—thanks to her latest Super Bowl ad with fellow trendsetters, Rachel Sennott and Aidan Zamiri.
“Poppi has always been about moving at the speed of culture, not waiting for permission. Charli xcx, Rachel Sennott, and Aiden Zamiri are all people who create culture—they don’t chase it,” Kristina MacIntosh, senior vice president of marketing at poppi, tells Cosmopolitan. “Partnering with them for the Super Bowl felt like the most natural extension of who we are as a brand: confident, a little unexpected, and tapped into what’s actually happening right now. That’s where the magic is for us.”
Charli exclusively pulled Cosmo for a chat all about her Super Bowl spot with poppi, reuniting with Rachel, and her buzzing film career, including her Wuthering Heights concept album.
We love a pop girl turned poppi girl moment. What was it like bringing your creative relationships with Aidan and Rachel into a huge cultural event like a Super Bowl ad?
I love working with Aidan and Rachel. We’ve done so much stuff together now, from our music video for “360” to our new feature film, The Moment. It’s just so easy to work with them, and it’s always so fun. When we were approached to do this ad for poppi, and we knew it was gonna have to be this colorful, bright, chaotic madness, I knew I wanted them to be a part of it.
What were the vibes on set? Do you have a favorite flavor?
To be honest, I was drinking all of the different flavors all day on set, and they were delicious. The vibes were pretty crazy, especially with Rachel having a flamethrower. It got quite hot in the room, and it really did feel like a genuinely wild party.
You mentioned Aidan and Rachel working with you on The Moment, which also features some other cultural giants like Kylie Jenner and Alexander Skarsgård. Was there anyone you wanted to include who didn’t make the final cut?
No. We were so lucky in that we really did get our dream cast. We worked with the incredible Oscar-nominated casting director, Jennifer Venditti. She also worked on Marty Supreme, Bugonia, and many other incredible films. We worked with her to get the exact people we wanted, and we just feel so lucky to have such a brilliant, cool cast.
You’ve been ahead of the curve for so long. Do you have any memories where you felt misunderstood or like you had to fight for your artistic integrity?
When I was younger in my career, I definitely had to fight more for my voice to be heard internally at my record label. As I’ve grown and developed as an artist, I’ve learned so much about myself and how to communicate and get what I want. I feel like there will always be some people who don’t understand me, and I’m at peace with that. I feel very lucky to work with people who really let me do my thing.
Now, you’re building this whole Wuthering Heights universe across music and film. I have to ask, because in the past, you’ve admitted to writing a song for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire based on “vibes” you received in an email from Lorde, who was curating the soundtrack at the time. What was different about creating a project rooted in such a famous literary story as opposed to conceptualizing something original?
Obviously, because Wuthering Heights is one of the most famous love stories of all time, there’s just so much to pull from in the atmosphere of both the original novel and Emerald [Fennell]’s interpretation of it. I felt so inspired when I read her screenplay at the end of 2024—it was just immediately jumping off the page at me, and I had so many ideas and wanted to create not just one song, but a whole album, because I was craving to swing in the completely polar opposite direction than I did with Brat. I felt that this project gave me the opportunity to do so.
As you kick off your filmography with projects like I Want Your Sex and 100 Nights of Hero, is there anything you applied from your music career as an actor?
Yes. In terms of the projects I would like to do and the people I would like to collaborate with, I really try to work with directors who are aligned with my view on art and creativity. It’s just about having a singular vision and not being afraid to push the boundaries and what people expect of you, and feel confident in that vision. I’m very lucky to have worked with directors who do that. Following my heart creatively is what I want to continue doing across all the projects I work on.
We celebrate Brat vibes year-round, but last year, you passed the baton to other artists to have their moment. If 2024 was Brat summer, what do you think will set the tone for 2026?
I honestly have no idea. It’s up to the world to decide. So...watch this space.
Parts of this interview have been edited and condensed for clarity.
