Five Years Later, Charli XCX Brings Party 4 U to Life in Stripped-Down New Video

Minimalist, haunting, and heavy with yearning, the party 4 u music video captures everything it’s meant to be. An unfiltered portrait of emotional vulnerability.

Filming a music video five years after a song’s release is a bold and unconventional move. There’s a lot to take into consideration, paired with the understanding that not everyone will be satisfied. Charli XCX does it anyway, because it feels right, and more often than not, people end up loving it.

With ‘party 4 u’ gaining renewed attention on social media, it sparked a worldwide discourse on the interlude’s significance, where that sound takes us and what it evokes. Charli is a unique case. After a critically acclaimed album that ruled an entire summer, many artists may strive to reach similar peaks with future projects, but Charli only had to let people rediscover her prior discography. A prime example of “ahead of its time”. Considering the production value of her most recent videos, ‘Guess’, ‘360’ and ‘Von Dutch’, you’d expect something on a similar scale, yet Charli, with the continued creative direction of Imogene Strauss, completely stripped this video back. 

Including elements of camcorder footage, the overall home video style and solely featuring Charli sporting all white lingerie, takes us back to the days of ‘how I’m feeling now’, 2020. Accompanied by the ‘Alone together’ documentary, ‘how i’m feeling now’ was made by Charli from her room during the COVID-19 lockdown. Hosting online listening parties, sharing snippets and collaborating remotely with listeners and producers on the direction of the project made this album close to home for many. Offering community and inspiring creativity in the face of uncertainty, recording the entire process through her webcam and camcorders, ‘how i’m feeling now’ is a time capsule. Announcing the album on April 6th 2020, Charli gave herself just six weeks to pull it off. That she did, releasing the album on May 15th 2020. Happy 5th birthday, ‘how i’m feeling now’, i only threw this party for 4 u.  

Imogene Strauss and Charli XCX’s creative relationship has brought many of Charli’s visions to life, spanning everything from stage design to music videos. Strauss focuses on the artist’s vision, working as a facilitator in enhancing and maintaining the artist's identity. Directed by Mitch Ryan and based on Chari’s concept, the ‘party 4 u’ music video is everything it needs to be, no more, no less. Exploring themes of emotional vulnerability, public image vs personal identity and of course, unrequited love, we are all left waiting for that one person to come to the party until we finally accept they’re not coming. Following Charli through the aftermath of a lonesome party, leading to the striking finale of burning a billboard with her face on it, the 5-year-awaited music video is a simple yet emotional exploration of every conflicting feeling that accompanies unanswered love. Mirroring the song's core emotion, throwing a party for someone who never shows up, the video captures feelings of longing, flickers of hope, involuntary solitude, and inevitable disappointment. The abandoned, quiet setting ensures this video is doused in yearning, with audiences resonating with the feeling of losing yourself in the process of doing everything you can, for someone who doesn't even notice. Subverting pop star image expectations, ‘party 4 u’ stands as one of the most honest and vulnerable portrayals of a party pop has ever seen.

Ultimately, the ‘party 4 u’ video is a testament to Charli’s authenticity and boundary-pushing creativity. Revisiting a song from 5 years ago and creating a deeply personal visual challenging the conventions of pop is something not many artists can pull off, but maybe more should try. This video not only celebrates the music but also honours the messy and complicated feelings that come with unrequited love. Strengthening her relationship with fans old and new, the curation of this video highlights how connected Charli XCX is with her audience, from her room in lockdown to sold-out arena shows, it’s always been about the fans. We’re reminded that sometimes the most powerful stories are the simplest and most honest ones. Charli’s ‘party 4 u’ quietly redefines what a pop party can really look like.