On Monday, November 18th, Charli XCX surprised New York City with a 15-minute concert in Times Square. Sponsored by clothing brand H&M, Charli performed songs from her hit album brat, including Guess featuring billie eilish, 365, Von dutch, and 360.
I was lucky enough to have seen a TikTok promoting the event that morning, so my friends and I arrived twenty minutes before. When we arrived, red and black graphics advertising Charli and H&M were playing across the famous Times Square screens.
After a sixty-second countdown, every screen turned brat green. Charli stepped out of double doors hidden in one of the fluorescent monitors at 6:30 PM EST, and the crowd (myself included) screamed for joy. Sporting her classic pitch-black sunglasses and long crimped hair, Charli performed singles like 365 and Von dutch.
Just before Apple, one of her more popular tracks, started playing, Charli shouted to the camera, “Did you spot them?”
“Them” turned out to be none other than iconic it-girls Richie Shazam and Alex Consani. The world-famous models performed the viral Apple dance, visible on the Times Square screen behind the Boom Clap singer. At the end of the verse, Julia Fox emerged from behind and waved to the camera while Consani took a hit of her neon green vape.
FIT Fashion Design student Mya Gazdecki said in true brat style, “It was so ‘Gaggedy Ann.’ It was such a fun surprise and a great break from the stressful school week.”
Her surprise concert comes two days after her Saturday Night Live hosting debut, filmed blocks away from the famous billboards of Times Square. At one point during the episode, Ms. XCX adorned a short blonde wig and striped pajama pants, pretending to be her SWEAT tour co-star, Troye Sivan.
As a broke college student living in the third most expensive city in the world, I love free stuff, and watching Charli XCX was no exception.
Stay brat, FIT!