Feature photo by Nathan Dainty
For the past week, Charli XCX has been teasing new music on social media. Today, she finally delivered. The song is called “Boys” and it comes with a star-studded music video in tow.
During an appearance on BBC Radio 1, the British pop singer explained that the video is meant to subvert gender roles. “They’re doing all the sexy things that girls usually do in music videos,” she said. “I just wanted to flip the male gaze on its head.”
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In the clip, Joe Jonas sits across a huge stack of pancakes, Wiz Khalifa throws around fake money, and Brandon Urie of Panic at the Disco lays in a bed or rose petals. Meanwhile, Diplo cuddles with dogs, Jack Antonoff works out, former Vampire Weekend member Rostam Batmanglij gets his head shaved, Mark Ronson slicks his hair back, and Mac DeMarco licks an electric guitar.
Will.i.am, Riz Ahmed, Ty Dolla $ign, Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig, Charlie Puth, Bring Me the Horizon’s Oliver Sykes, Chromeo, Flume, G Eazy, Joey Bada$$, Kaytranada, Portugal. the Man, and The Libertines also appear in the self-directed video.
Update — Thursday, August 31st at 12:50 p.m. CT: Charli XCX has shared an acoustic version of “Boys”. Take a listen.
According to a press release, “Boys” is off Charli’s forthcoming third album, the follow-up to 2014’s Sucker. Earlier this year, she dropped a mixtape named Number 1 Angel.
