Charli XCX continues to give us new sneak peeks at her album, which officially drops this Friday. The title, *Music, Fashion, Film, already hints at the direction of the project: as is easy to guess from the themes, imagery, and overall mood of the album, the British artist has drawn inspiration from these three realms—worlds she had previously hinted were at the heart of her passions and her creative identity.
Now those influences are taking concrete shape through new tracks, images, and visual references. Following “SS26” and “Wink Wink,” “Camera” is the third single from the album—another piece of a project that seems to constantly move between music, aesthetics, and cinema. In the last few hours, Charli has also released the music video for the song, from which we’d already shown you some behind-the-scenes images: the star is Vincent Cassel, a name that fits perfectly into the album’s “Film” theme and once again confirms the connection between the singer and the world of cinema. The French actor, who recently starred in David Cronenberg’s latest film—and also appears as a featured artist on Charli’s album—thus becomes a central figure in the album’s visual narrative.
Her participation marks the closing of a circle, but also the most accurate interpretation of the message Charli wants to convey with this song. As we’ve already mentioned, *Music, Fashion, Film* isn’t just a celebration of the artist’s passions, but also a journey into her inner world: an album that reflects her contradictions, alternating between more intimate and tormented moments and others that are lighter, more spontaneous, and playful.
In *Camera*, the focus shifts precisely to the boundary between what happens in front of and behind the camera, between reality and its representation. In the music video, Charli plays the role of a director grappling with a chaotic set, where nothing seems to go according to plan and where every attempt at control ends up creating further tension. Vincent Cassel bears the brunt of it; in the video, he plays an actor frustrated by the production’s constant difficulties, to the point where he lets the situation overwhelm him.
Through the interplay between film and music, Charli XCX seems to be questioning what it means to create an image, interpret it, and at the same time be held captive by it: an ironic yet deeply insightful reflection on the relationship between the artist, the audience, and the performance—a relationship that perhaps she, more than anyone else, can understand.
[📸 Instagram: charli_xcx]
