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Charli xcx<\/a> is breathing live back into the dancefloor. And thank God for that!<\/p>\n This morning, the pop provocateur dropped a black-and-white teaser video<\/a> to announce her upcoming single, \u201crock music\u201d, arriving tomorrow. In it, a black stiletto-ed Charli walks into frame and stomps on the neck of an electric guitar to the clashing of distorted instrumentals. Remember when she teased a retirement from music? Yeah, neither does she.<\/p>\n This will mark the first official release from her upcoming eighth studio album, following the culture-resetting reign of Brat<\/em> and its sweat-drenched hyperpop universe. While little is known about the project so far, \u201crock music\u201d already hints at a sharper, grittier sonic direction, perhaps trading rave aesthetics for something darker, louder, and a little more dangerous.<\/p>\n This is the second preview we\u2019ve received of the track rollout so far. On May 2, Charli xcx shared a lo-fi studio video<\/a> from Rue Boyer Studios in Paris, offering a raw glimpse into the making of the track alongside longtime collaborators A. G. Cook<\/a> and Finn Keane<\/a>. In the clip, we hear Charli repeatedly sing the phrase \u201cme and my friends\u201d over crunchy, distorted production, while an iPhone Notes app briefly flashes additional lyrics onscreen: \u201cwe go out \/ we take pictures \/ we make stuff together \/ we sometimes cry \/ we kiss each other \/ incestuous vibes.\u201d<\/p>\n Whether \u201crock music\u201d is a full-blown genre pivot or just another expertly executed fake-out from pop\u2019s most unpredictable shapeshifter remains to be seen. But if the teaser proves anything, it\u2019s that Charli xcx still knows exactly how to send the internet into cardiac arrest with a 19-second clip and a c*nt pair of heels.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n