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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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Paul McCartney has reflected on the unforgettable day The Beatles met Elvis Presley, calling it one of those surreal “pinch yourself” moments.
McCartney and the rest of The Beatles famously crossed paths with Presley just once in 1965, when they visited his Los Angeles home during a meeting arranged by NME writer Chris Hutchins.
Now, during a new appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Tracks Of My Years, McCartney looked back on the legendary encounter and shared his memories of the late rock and roll icon.
“He was really great. He was a very handsome guy, but we kind of knew that. We were fans.
“We just followed everything he did, and we looked at any photo we could get. He wasn’t a disappointment at all,” McCartney said.
He went on to explain that over the years he and his former bandmates, including Ringo Starr, have often discussed the meeting, although everyone seems to remember parts of it differently.
“I say that we rang the doorbell and Elvis came to the door and said, ‘come in guys’,” he recalled. “He invited us in and we sat around and he had a jukebox, and played ‘Mohair Sam’, the record.
“Ringo says he didn’t come to the door, we went in and he was sitting there. So who’s right? I am,” he joked.
McCartney described the evening as a special experience and remembered Presley casually picking up a bass guitar during the visit.
“He had a bass there and he was talking about the bass so we could talk, sort of, bass talk. He was great, very personable, very nice.
“He had a bunch of his minders with him, and you read stuff later, and I think they were mainly his cousins, his gang.”
The Beatles legend also remembered meeting Priscilla Presley, describing that part of the night as another standout memory.
“You’re inviting four guys into your home, probably the last thing you need is them to be all over your wife.
“It was great, she was great, Elvis was great,” he continued, before adding: “You pinch yourself. I met, I actually sat with, like I’m sitting with you, Elvis.”
McCartney has previously named Presley as one of the major inspirations behind The Beatles’ landmark album ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.
In other news, McCartney is preparing to release his new album ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’ on May 29. The project has already been previewed with tracks including ‘Days We Left Behind’ and ‘Home To Us’, which marks his first official duet with Ringo Starr.
Ahead of the release, McCartney was also interviewed by actor Paul Mescal, who is set to portray him in the upcoming Beatles biopic series.
Currently titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, the movies have been written by Jez Butterworth, Peter Straughan and Jack Thorne. The cast includes Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr. The films are currently scheduled for release in April 2028.
McCartney later joked about Mescal taking on the role during his recent appearance on the final episode of The Late Show. After performing ‘Hello, Goodbye’ with host Stephen Colbert before symbolically turning off the lights inside the Ed Sullivan Theatre, he was asked which of them was more attractive.
McCartney smiled, pointed to himself and answered: “Me.”
After the audience reacted with applause and laughter, he quickly clarified that he was joking, adding: “No, he’s very cute, he’s very cute.”
Elsewhere, McCartney has also recently spoken about struggling to understand what songs Bob Dylan was playing during a concert, why he dislikes taking selfies, and why he still finds much of influencer culture confusing.
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