CHARLI XCX “Stay Away” Live at the Blind Club at Dalston Heights, 2012
This song was, hands down, my favorite single of 2011. Easily. And yet Charli XCX is still something of a spectre to me. I mean, she only has two songs and I’ve never seen her live. Still, watching this almost-acoustic performance of “Stay Away” proves a lot of the things for which I only had hunches for up until now: Like how she really has a tremendous voice. Like how when she’s ready to move out of the 80’s-tinged gothic pop she currently revels in, there will still be a wealth of possibility for her career. Like how if she’s this good at 19, Charli XCX could very well be a total fucking game-changer in even five years time.
I often criticize the Internet for making us more of a NOW! culture, and for obstructing the opportunity for new ideas to develop before they are immediately disclosed, consumed, and discarded. But in this case, it’s felt like a real privilege to be able to watch this young woman, whom I love and barely know anything about, just grow.
This is wonderful. And yes to everything above.
Legit. The 1:38 mark, whoa.
Things I wish I had:
- vocal agility
