Album review by Charlotte Poynton
2024 is a year for the pop girlies, and Aussie superstar CXLOE is making her mark on both local and global stages with the release of her debut album, Shiny New Thing, released on May 17th. A long time in the making, Shiny New Thing graces us with 13 immaculate pop hits described as “both ironic and extremely literal”. CXLOE shared over Instagram that this album is about “pop music’s obsession with reinvention & the fact that artists CAN be multi-faceted without compromising authenticity in pursuit of becoming the next *Shiny New Thing*”, which is reinforced by thought-provoking messaging throughout the lyrics. I have been in awe of CXLOE’s music since her 2017 release of ‘Tough Love’, and this album just deepens my adoration. Through a track-by-track review, I will endeavour to pay justice to the wonder of Shiny New Thing, though the charm and lyrical perfection speaks for itself.
Shiny New Thing kicks off with an absolute dance pop banger with ‘Half of Me’. This track boasts a transcendent opening that prefaces sultry vocals and an immaculately flawless pre-chorus and chorus. CXLOE sings of “highs and lows” and the yearning to give all of yourself to a person, or perhaps to an industry itself. With an album opening as strong as this, you can’t help but to realise that CXLOE is on her way to make history in our Aussie pop scene.
The title track will always be a big deal, carrying a strong weight in defining the overall theme and sound of the album. Track two of ‘Shiny New Thing’ has achieved that with ease, as a glittery pop song with the potential to rival anything topping the charts right now. Playing into the objectification of women in the music industry, CXLOE sells herself as a “trophy”; a ‘Shiny New Thing’. With lyrics describing how she would bend backwards to fit the mould, my favourite stand out line is “I want your attention, it’s divided so I split in two”.
‘Shapeshifter’, strutting in boldly at track three, is a pure dance-pop masterpiece. Carrying strong reminiscence of popstar darlings Madison Beer and Sabrina Carpenter with this sultry, dancefloor filler beat and flirty yet untouchable verses, CXLOE establishes herself as a force to be reckoned with. Lyrically, this track parallels a famous Taylor Swift quote from 2020 on reinventing yourself to stay relevant, and “constantly finding new facets of yourself that people find to be shiny”, a quote that seems to be a central motif on Shiny New Thing.
Track four of Shiny New Thing is ‘Bad Taste’, detailing a situationship adorned in red flags. CXLOE smooths over all hangovers and lingering smell of smoke in cars with the lyrics ‘You can leave a bad taste on me’, before going on to claim that she “Can’t blame anyone but me”. ‘Bad Taste’ leans further into EDM territory, channelling major Mallrat vibes with the overall sound and the outro that leaves audiences begging for more.
CXLOE has established herself as a girl boss with this album, is definitely not an artist to gatekeep, and she finishes the trifecta with track five, ‘Gaslight’. Addressing the feeling of “Walking on a wire” and confusion that comes at the hand of a person with a gaslighting nature, this track effortlessly conveys vulnerable and raw emotions whilst dancing through the pain.
Flexing her ability to transcend genre boundaries with a hyper-pop infused track six, CXLOE gives us an absolute bop with ‘No Service’. Infused with lyrical anxieties and a bouncy synth motif, ‘No Service’ feels like a vodka infused night on the dancefloor, and the procrastination of all the responsibilities of a nine-to-five life. With verses about forgetting that “We’re not making any money” to echoing vocals in the final chorus that ponder “Why can’t I just be happy”, ‘No Service’ is a humanising glimpse behind the shiny façade of a pop princess.
In track seven of Shiny New Thing, CXLOE hopes that she was ‘Wrong About You’. Perfectly encapsulating the feeling of realising that someone is not the idealized version of them that you invented in your head, ‘Wrong About You’ is impossible to not sing along to. A song that is made from the highly revered pop song material, this track is the one that I am most excited to hear live, especially to experience a room of people cathartically singing along to lyrics such as “Are you two faced? Am I going insane?”
‘Flight Risk’ lands in at track eight of Shiny New Thing, pinning down a whirlwind of emotions in a conventional pop package. The audiences’ journey through this song is accompanied by a pulsing beat, which is reflective of a busy and bustling world that has no regard for the internal battle of personal doubt and self-sabotage detailed in the lyrics. On ‘Flight Risk’, CXLOE sheds the shiny pop exterior for an introspective analysis of oneself and the critical view that can develop in harsh lighting. This song is also home to some of my favourite lyrics on the album, including “Never known the difference – what’s a chapter, what’s a single page?”, though it’s hard to pinpoint favourite lines when every song holds such heartachingly relatable lyrics.
Taking a break from the self-destructive nature of the life of the rich and famous, CXLOE treats us to a hidden wonder in ‘Till The Wheels Fall Off’. This track gives 2000’s Britney Spears vibes in all of the best ways, which makes perfect sense with the creative masterminds of Louis Schoorl and Xavier Dunn on production. You cannot help but dance when this track comes on, as CXLOE channels the bright LED lights and overpriced cocktails of your favourite club with lyrics including “We don’t even have to try” and “You know what to do, full speed with me”.
‘Cheating On Myself’, the song that initially registered my excitement for this new era of CXLOE’s music, comes in at track ten of Shiny New Thing. This song is a piece of pop perfection that pierces through your heart with the realisation that you have betrayed yourself in being loyal to someone else. A song that stung me as a poignant wake up call upon first listen in early 2023, CXLOE sings about how you sometimes subconsciously push aside your core values and central self when you’re blinded by somebody and their burdening mystique. Complete with a chorus that calls for a cathartic sing along, ‘Cheating On Myself’ has been on repeat for quite a while on all of my reinvention and “New Year, New Me” playlists.
Track eleven of ‘You Must Be Crazy Too’ speaks to the mass audience of young pop music fans. With all the mystique and lyrical conventions of a recent Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo song, ‘You Must Be Crazy Too’ speaks as to how women in successful positions of the music industry are naturally viewed through the antiquated lens of being crazy, and how all who wish to associate with them are too. Lyrically likening these behaviours to animalistic tendencies and the act of blind faith, CXLOE has yet again created a song so insanely good and simultaneously deep with contextual layers.
CXLOE addresses the anxieties that arise when elevating a relationship to the next level with track twelve, ‘Stretch’. Revealing that song was written “as a sort of final plea and desire for reassurance” after her fiancé proposed to her, CXLOE’s painfully relatable lyrics resonate all too well, especially when she refers to herself as “high key a bit explosive” and “a sinking ship”. ‘Stretch’ is a song full of masterful musical choices, from brief segments of distorted vocals representing the faltering hope of the lyrical pleas, to a constant slow clap throughout the song emulating the fear that the one she holds the closest is no longer impressed by “emotional volatility”.
Candidly addressing herself with the final song on this debut album, CXLOE shares a vulnerable letter to her innermost doubts and worries with ‘Chloe Enough’. Reinforcing the album themes of personal struggle within a cut-throat industry, this song equally balances its raw nature with a perfect soft-pop production and ever-catchy chorus. Closing off the album neatly up with a message to all listeners – “Are you listening yet?” – CXLOE stresses the importance of her lyrical pleas and begs a wider audience of music fans to open their eyes to the nature of their favourite industry.
