Charli XCX
Emily Lipson*Hold tight, Charli XCX fans! The pop star’s new single with SEVENTEEN‘s Vernon is on the way.
“So, @charli_xcx and @pledis_17 when’s the collab coming?” NME tweeted on Monday, leading the pop star to retweet the question with a rather coy answer. “Actually kinda soon…,” she responded, sending her more than 3.6 million followers into a frenzy of anticipation.
Charli has made it no secret she’s a fan of the K-pop idol, first tweeting earlier this month, “how do i get in touch with Vernon??” before asking point blank if the singer wanted to work together. Clearly, the appreciation was mutual, as Vernon tweeted back from SEVENTEEN’s official account, “YES…still can’t believe this is real wow” with a pair of mind-blown emojis.
While the How I’m Feeling Now singer has yet to hint at what the K-pop-infused track could sound like, it will follow her recent all-star team-ups with Rina Sawayama and Caroline Polachek and Christine and the Queens on “Beg for You” and “New Shapes,” respectively — both of which will appear alongside lead single “Good Ones” on her upcoming fifth studio album Crash.
In other good news, Charli is about to get a second chance to perform as musical guest on this season of Saturday Night Live, after she was forced to back out of the late-night sketch series’ Christmas episode amid the height of COVID-19’s omicron variant surge in New York City. Now, she’s set to take the stage at Studio 8H on March 5 opposite host Oscar Isaac.
Check out Charli’s response about the Vernon collab below.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
