Inside Charli XCX's Underground 'Pop 2' Raves
Entertainment

Inside Charli XCX's Underground 'Pop 2' Raves

For our new digital cover series Takeover, we chose five of our favorite women who're making a significant impact on the music industry right now. Charli XCX, the hitmaker turned underground pop auteur, is building a cult-like community around her inclusive, new music. Today, she'll be taking over PAPER with guest edited pieces and appearing on our Instagram.

Since releasing her 2017 mixtape Pop 2, Charli XCX has been bringing the music across the world — but not through a conventional tour. In addition to boutique-style pop-up shows in clubs, which feel more like outsider raves than live performances, she's booked Pop 2 parties in the same cities as Taylor Swift's Reputation Tour. After opening for Swift in massive stadiums, where she mostly sang her biggest hits, Charli would later appear at another show until the early morning, singing deep cuts for her most dedicated fans. From New York to Texas, she enlisted collaborators like Kim Petras, Dorian Electra, Brooke Candy, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Tommy Cash to perform Pop 2 songs. Below, the British pop star hand-selected photos from her favorite memories.

Photography: Henry Redcliffe

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Story by Andrew Nguyen / Photography by Diego Villagra Motta