Charli XCX leans into controversy: “I enjoy the discourse” after Glastonbury backlash

Charli XCX’s Glastonbury set ignited fierce debate online — and the pop provocateur wouldn’t have it any other way. As fans and critics clashed over her heavily autotuned performance, the Brat singer welcomed the uproar, calling it proof that her art is anything but forgettable. In a post-show reflection, she defended her style and asserted her place as one of pop’s most polarizing — and compelling — performers.

Charli XCX vs. tradition

When Charli XCX took the stage at Glastonbury’s Other Stage on June 28, she didn’t come to appease expectations. She came to challenge them. Her set — an aggressive, visually dynamic performance driven by choreography, bold fashion, and heavy vocal processing — sparked a divided reaction among audiences, both online and on the ground.

The backlash centered around her use of autotune and lack of a live band — a conscious stylistic choice for the Brat era, but one that didn’t sit well with some traditionalists. “It’s official, Charli XCX is the worst performer I have ever seen at Glastonbury,” one commenter wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Another declared: “Barely singing, autotune in the rare moments she does sing a bit and horrendous dancing.”

But Charli, never one to back down from a cultural flashpoint, met the criticism with a shrug — and a wink. “Like the idea that singing with deliberate autotune makes you a fraud or that not having a traditional band suddenly means you must not be a ‘real artist’ is like, the most boring take ever,” she posted on X. “Yawn sorry just fell asleep xx.”

Art that provokes, not pleases

Rather than defend her performance in conventional terms, Charli leaned into the debate — even welcomed it. “To be honest… I enjoy the discourse,” she wrote. “IMO the best art is divisive and confrontational and often evolves into truly interesting culture rather than being like kind of ok, easily understood and sort of forgettable.”

The statement echoes a philosophy that’s long underpinned Charli’s career: pushing boundaries, bending genre, and embracing discomfort. From underground hyperpop circles to major festival stages, she’s positioned herself as a disruptor within mainstream pop. Brat, her critically acclaimed 2024 album, is no exception — packed with industrial textures, warped vocals, and emotionally raw lyrics, it’s a body of work that dares the listener to take a side. “I’m really enjoying these boomer vibe comments on my Glastonbury performance,” she added in another post. “Super fascinating.”

A tale of two Glastonburys

Though some viewers dismissed the performance as “torture sounds,” others were enthralled. “My jaw was on the floor — one of the best Glastonbury sets we’ve ever seen,” one fan tweeted. Another praised her command of the massive stage: “On that huge stage, alone, nowhere to hide, no one to hide behind. She was mesmerising. Almost shamanic.”

“It takes a supremely confident performer to get up on that huge stage all on your own and hold thatenormous crowd in the palm of your hand for an hour,” wrote another supporter. “Charli XCX, you will always be famous.”

The setlist featured an arsenal of fan favorites from Brat, including “360,” “Club classics,” “Apple,” “Girl, so confusing,” “Sympathy is a knife,” and “Party 4 u.” She closed with “I Love It,” the Icona Pop hit she’s famously featured on — a nod to her pop pedigree and staying power.

As her set concluded, a bold message appeared onscreen: “Thank you so much Glastonbury. So we burnt it down – does that mean Brat is finally over?? Maybe it is. But probably NOT. But we had to do it. And it looked cool.”

Brat forever?

Brat has become more than just an album cycle — it’s a cultural wave. With its acidic neon visuals, bratty attitude, and deconstructed pop production, it’s helped redefine the sound and aesthetics of pop’s next chapter. It’s also cemented Charli as a tastemaker unafraid to alienate in order to innovate.

“I think you all have proven to me that Brat is forever <3,” the message continued. “I don’t know who I am if it’s over. It wasn’t just a summer thing… it’s a forever thing xx.” For Charli, the controversy isn’t a crisis — it’s confirmation. She’s not chasing mass approval or radio chart safety. She’s chasing the kind of art that lingers, irritates, fascinates — the kind that might divide, but never dulls.

As she put it herself, “The best art is divisive and confrontational.” At Glastonbury 2024, she proved it — autotuned mic in hand, flames on the screen, and a crowd full of both critics and converts. Whether you loved it or hated it, Charli XCX made sure you felt something.