Anais Gutierrez
On Wednesday, Charli XCX graced us with a new video, aptly named ‘Boys,’ and is a breath of fresh air, really. I’ll just say that you can expect to see your male celebrity boy crush on it.
The video marks Charli’s first video for her anticipated new album which is expected to release in 2018.
Boys pin-up calendar
Charli XCX offered the ultimate alternative for anyone tired of the usual array of girls in bikinis and so on her new video ‘Boys.’
The singer presented the perfect pin-up calendar for the summer, filled with male celebrities in full display of sexiness, and it’s just too much.
The sexy cameos include the likes of Riz Ahmed, Diplo, Stormzy, Tom Daley, Joe Jonas, Wiz Khalifa, Mark Ronson, Ezra Koenig, Flume, Vance Joy, Mac DeMarco, Ty Dolla $ign, Charlie Puth, Kaytranada, Chromeo, Jack Antonoff, G-Eazy, and Will.I.Am.
The steamy video marks Charli’s return with the third single from her upcoming album. On October 2016, she released ‘After the Afterparty,’ the first single from the anticipated album.
Then in March 2017, she released a mixtape ‘Number 1 Angel,’ which featured a line-up of all female guest appearances from MØ, Raye, Starrah, Uffie, Abra, and Cupcakke.
Charli XCX flipping the stereotypes
Music videos have long catered to the male gaze featuring women acting as little more than eye candy.
But there are artists who simply don’t feed into that stereotype, and Charli XCX brilliantly flipped it on its head, and in more than one way.
She came up with the idea for the video, which she directed along with Sarah McColgan, and decided to talk to some dudes to help her. Including most of many people’s crushes.
“Obviously, the whole idea behind my video was to avert the male gaze. All the guys are in this video because they have a sense of humor and because they understood the concept,” she said.
She highlighted how they reacted positively to the idea and were absolutely down for it. While she’s aware of how people might disapprove the video or the idea, she’s sticking to it.
“You can read into that deep or as little as you want. Obviously, I made a conscious decision not to be in the video and to have all the guys doing the sexy things that girls are normally doing – which I think they enjoyed,” she said.
Making it even better, Charli not only flipped the stereotype but also challenge another problematic misconception, the female representation in direction.
Female representation when it comes to directing is just 1 percent, which translates into 12 female directors.
Way to go girl.
Source: Stereogum
