Charli XCX Welcomes The Success Of 'niche' Pop Stars

Charli XCX thinks "niche" pop stars are finally getting the success they deserve.

The 32-year-old star - who released her 'Brat' album earlier this year - believes that pop music has entered a "really interesting" new era.

Charli told i-D magazine: "I think it’s a really interesting time in pop music where [being] niche is being rewarded in a way that we haven’t seen for a while.

"It feels like there’s this new wave of artists with different ambitions and cultural touchpoints who are really thriving in mainstream culture. And I think that’s myself, that’s Troye [Sivan], that’s Chappell [Roan].

"When I think about the three of us, that’s a lot of music that either is inherently a part of queer culture or is very much inspired by it and that’s super cool."

'Brat' has been a huge hit with fans and critics, and Charli has confessed to being surprised by its success.

She said: "Before 'Brat' came out, I was saying to everyone around me, 'Be prepared that this is probably going to be the album that doesn’t perform very well at all.' Because I was like, 'I’m just going to make songs about my friends. I’m going to name check them all. I don’t really care if anybody else likes it. I just need to do this because the previous record was so about me trying to appeal.'"

Earlier this year, Charli explained what she specifically looks for in a pop star.

She told the Guardian newspaper: "We used to live in a time where artists could live in a vacuum.

"You could have a great song, even a great album, and not be super-immersed in gossip culture. The internet has broken the distance that a lot of artists used to have.

"What gets me interested in an artist is when they have - not really a backstory, it’s more like lore..."