I used to hate swimming at school so much that I would always sneak downstairs in the middle of the night and take my swimming costume out of my gym bag and hide it in the house somewhere. Then I'd never have to go swimming at school. This went on for months and I never got caught and my Mum turned into a nervous wreck because the thought she was losing her memory... and then one day she caught me and got super angry. That was kind of bad.
Charli XCXI feel like I have an affiliation with the '90s. I feel like a lot of things going on in fashion and pop culture were loud and outlandish.
Charli XCXLive in the moment. Feel everything you want to feel. And maybe have a couple of drinks if you're nervous, I guess.
Charli XCXI always look at my favourite photographs or favourite movies by James Bidgood or Sofia Coppola before I write my songs - they put me in the right frame of mind.
Charli XCXI was inspired by movies like 'Jawbreaker' and 'Carrie' for the 'Break the Rules' video. I never went to prom when I was at school so this was kind of me living out my weird fantasy of what prom would be like in my head. I asked Rose McGowan to be in the video and I never ever thought she would say yes, but she did... so she came to prom too... And she trashed it.
Charli XCXEvery time I make another record and every time I get a year older, I become more and more confident in who I am and more in tune with what I want as a person. I think it's the same for anyone in any walk of life. You just grow with experience and become more confident in exploring new things.
Charli XCXThe great thing about 2017 is that, because of the terrible political state that we're in and that America is in, young people are so vocal at the moment about so many issues, from racism to LGBT rights to beyond. I feel like - especially when I look at my fan-base - people are so vocal about their opinions and so vocal about spreading love. That's really important, and I think it's really amazing that people are talking about that. I just want that to keep happening.
Charli XCXI hadn't really thought about the kind of music I wanted to make. I was just making raps and stuff. I thought that was the coolest thing in the world.
Charli XCXI think true romance is dry schizophrenic... but life would be so boring without true love, so I guess you just roll with it.
Charli XCXFor me, romance is only 'true' when there are two sides to it. I think to have true romance you have to have the moments where you feel alone and you're crying and you feel like your heart's about to break... as well as the moments where you're floating through this orgasmic dream state.
Charli XCXI see music in colours. I love music that's black, pink, purple or red - but I hate music that's green, yellow or brown.
Charli XCXI've never been to New Zealand actually. All I know is that there's a lot of greenery there. I'd love to come and play a show there sometime soon for sure!
Charli XCXI like Lady Gaga's music and I think her fashion is great, but I saw her on a chat show and I wanted to punch her in the face.
Charli XCXThe music I'm making is like an explosion of love. It moves away from super dark, its more romanticized and floral, but still quite black.
Charli XCXThere are some really amazing artists and people behind the scenes who are really effective in championing feminism in the music industry, and I think that's really important for people in the industry and for young girls and guys to see. It should become universal. It's really about the other people understanding that everybody's equal and that women are equally as valid creatives, businesswomen, powerhouses...whatever you want to call them.
Charli XCXI just want people to feel the emotion that's in the record. For me it's very raw and beautiful, I guess it's kind of like a diary for me. I'd love for people to be able to listen to it and it make them dance and cry and the same time.
Charli XCXI've been thinking about where I want to take my live show. I want everything in it to be pink, gold, and black. I don't want people to feel any other colors, like brown or yellow.
Charli XCXI was really selfish, and I didn't want to listen to anyone. Then I started working with some really amazing people, traveling more, and figuring out who I was as a person - looking at different things, listening to different music.
Charli XCXI turned 25. And I don't feel like... whatever, age is just a number. I still feel very young and excited about life and everything. For the first time ever I began to take a look at life and really value it, and realize that there are so many things that I want to do; travel, I want to see the world. I realized that I want to take more time for myself and take more time to see the world and spend time with friends. That sounds so basic but I never really realized that before.
Charli XCXI'm someone who admires artists like Madonna and David Bowie, who really change their sound drastically between each record.
Charli XCXA lot of my friends do creative things and are doing really well at what they do - some writers, some artists. I'm in a driven circle. I've had a lot of opportunities that other people wouldn't necessarily have and seen some cool places.
Charli XCXFashion is meant to be wild and expressive. I love colour but I also love basics - grungy minimalism mixed with this kind of broken-down cheerleader, is my thing.
Charli XCXTo be honest I'd just love to keep writing hits for other people... That's kind of my secret dream.
Charli XCXI can't stand to hear my own voice. If one of my songs comes on in a café, I'll run out right away and come back with the police.
Charli XCXWhen I was younger, definitely getting people to listen to me and believe in me. I think it's hard when you're a young girl in a record label full of male urban artists, which is definitely what Atlantic Records was and still is. Also, getting people to trust a young, female pop star that doesn't just want to be puppeteered was definitely a challenge for me.
Charli XCXI know some people are like "I'm depressed and I'm a struggling artist" and that really works for some people, but that doesn't work for me. I have to be really happy, even when I'm writing my depressing songs; I have to come through that stage before I can write. I have to be in a good place. I'm a positive person.
Charli XCXWhen I first started, I wasn't really aware of anything in the industry or aware of who I really was. I just put my music out there and tried to get as many people to hear it as possible.
Charli XCXA good song can make you smile, or it can make you dance or laugh or remind you of a moment.
Charli XCXI've definitely become more commercially successful. I think everything has changed over the past two years. People seem to take me seriously now as a songwriter for other artists and as an artist, which is funny to me because I always thought I was good. I guess that's the main change, which is pretty interesting.
Charli XCXI have a really good relationship with my label and with people I've worked with since I was younger. I've always had a really good relationship, with both men and women. I think, for me, the way I face sexism in the music industry is when people are like, "Oh, she must not write her own music." That's frustrating, in a way. But it's cool. I'm mostly just like, "Meh." I'm just doing my thing.
Charli XCX[My mom] worries about me going and taking drugs, whereas my dad advises me on what drugs to take and what ones not to take. So, they're very different.
Charli XCXI like the whole laid-back rapping. I wish I could rap! I wish I could wrap like Azealia Banks or Lil Wayne or someone like that.
Charli XCXEveryone's just a freak, but some people are trying to hide it and some people embrace it.
Charli XCXI always see colors when I listen to music. It's difficult to explain, but when I hear the music I think about gold, blood rushing.
Charli XCXI started writing my own things when I was about 8. I used to try to bully my friends into imitating the Spice Girls on the playground. Then I realized, Oh god, my career's going nowhere, so I looked in the Yellow Pages and phoned up the first cheap studio that I found and started recording.
Charli XCX