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Charli xcx’s 2024 album Brat marked a turning point in her career, but it also brought an intense level of attention that followed her everywhere.
That shift became a key source of inspiration for The Moment, the British dance pop artist’s mockumentary which premiered on Jan. 30. Directed by Aidan Zamiri, the high energy film offers an exaggerated reflection of Charli’s Brat era rise. Speaking to Billboard in a video interview shared on Monday Feb. 2, the singer and songwriter said the project was shaped by the real life “transition” she experienced during that period.
“I’d been this relatively niche artist, and then had suddenly been opened up to this huge new audience, some of whom really connected with me, some of whom only connected with aspects of me, some of whom liked me, but didn’t really get me,” Charli said during a Zoom conversation with Zamiri. “How much you’re under scrutiny, in the spotlight, being listened to, watched, is a really interesting thing. It made me so acutely aware of how hard that transition can be.”
Brat was released in June 2024 and climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, marking the highest chart position of Charli’s career so far. The album also earned her three Grammy Awards. She sustained that momentum later in the year with a Brat remix project featuring a roster of well known collaborators, followed by the Brat Tour which wrapped up in August 2025.
In the time since, Charli has made it clear that the Brat chapter is behind her, noting that her attention has shifted toward acting roles and soundtrack work. In the coming weeks, she is set to release her Wuthering Heights companion album tied to Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film adaptation of the classic Charlotte Bronte novel.
“Nothing lasts forever — and no one lasts forever,” Charli told Billboard when explaining why she chose to close out the Brat era on her own terms. “I think I’ve alway’s known that. It’s cooler to just leave it all behind.”
That said, she still found joy in recreating the relentless club energy that defines The Moment, which she and Zamiri shot across 29 days. “Every single weekend, we would just go out and party,” Charli said of keeping the atmosphere alive on set. “Sometimes Aidan would just blast The Prodigy whilst they were setting up a shot.”
Watch Charli and Zamiri’s full interview with Billboard above.
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Radio Free Alice have shared a new single featuring Water From Your Eyes‘ Rachel Brown – listen to ‘Big Ideas’ below.
The collaborative song is the latest preview of the Australian band and NME 100 alumni‘s debut studio album, ‘What’s In Between’, which is released on October 30 via Atlantic.¥
“From early on, we felt that a second vocal would work well with the song, a kind of call and response,” explained frontman Noah Learmonth of the team-up.
“We’ve loved Water From Your Eyes for years, and had gone to their show when they came to Melbourne. We felt like Rachel would be perfect; they have such an interesting, distinctive voice.”
In the contemplative track’s first verse, Learmonth sings: “Try not to go too berserk/ But she’s been sleeping with the guy from work/ At what point do you admit your life’s not going to plan one bit.”
Later, he tells the listener he’d “rather be stuck in hell than stuck in Melbourne with reports to sell” before Brown joins in and trades vocals: “Honey won’t you rescue me/ I got a barb in my eye/ I got a thorn in my side/ Don’t get any big ideas (Pick it up and pack it in)/ She only let you in to get your things/ (Pick it up and pack it in)...”
‘Big Ideas’ is accompanied by a ’90s-looking official music video, directed and edited by Owen Schatz. The song follows previous singles ‘Kick In The Shins’ and ‘Crying For You’.
Speaking to NME at Reading Festival this summer, Radio Free Alice discussed what to expect from their debut LP. “Looking back, I’ve always been a sucker for anything ‘coming of age’,” said Learmonth of the LP’s lyrics. “A lot of my favourite movies growing up were that. There is a theme of ‘dispossessed young person’, amongst others.”
Elsewhere in the chat, they recalled opening for Geese in Australia. “It was crazy to see Geese in person,” Learmonth told NME. “Cameron Winter and Geese have been on my phone incessantly, so to see him in person and be talking to him backstage was so strange, so topical. That was sick. It was amazing to share a stage with the most talked-about band in the world.”
Radio Free Alice are set to embark on a UK and European headline tour next month – find any remaining tickets here. See the full schedule below.
NOVEMBER
04 — Copenhagen, DK — Ideal Bar at Vega
06 — Berlin, DE — Frannz Club
07 — Hamburg, DE — Turmzimmer
08 — Cologne, DE — Helios37
10 — Amsterdam, NL — Tolhuistuin
11 — Brussels, BE — Botanique Rotonde
12 — Paris, FR — Point Ephémère
14 — Bristol, UK — Thekla
15 — Birmingham, UK — O2 Institute2
17 — London, UK — Electric Ballroom
18 — Leeds, UK — Brudenell Social Club
20 — Manchester, UK — Academy 2
21 — Glasgow, UK — Art School
22 — Belfast, UK — Ulster Sports Club
24 — Dublin, IE — Button Factory
27 – Barcelona, ES — Sidecar
29 – Paris, FR — Point Ephémère
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