Charli XCX is pushing deeper into the existential weight of fame with her new single "Camera," the fourth preview from her upcoming seventh studio album 'Music, Fashion, Film'. The track continues the rock-influenced electronic direction she has been shaping across recent releases, pairing moments of self-doubt with a sharp desire for performance and visibility.
Across the song, Charli questions the pressure of artistic scrutiny, asking, “Do I want to make music / Am I being fucking stupid?” before giving in to the rush of being seen. She frames the camera as both a release and a threat, singing, “When the camera is on / I can be anything I want to be,” and comparing the sensation to looking “down the barrel of a gun.”
The music video, directed by longtime collaborator Aidan Zamiri, brings these ideas to life through a satirical one-take sequence filmed on a desert movie set. Shot entirely in black and white, the visual stars French actor Vincent Cassel as a performer attempting to film an intense death scene.
Each attempt collapses under technical glitches and sparking equipment, turning the shoot into a looping cycle of frustration. Charli enters midway as the director, riding a moving camera dolly in an embroidered floral capri set. Her calm presence contrasts Cassel’s unraveling, and a pointed finger gun adds a playful tension to the scene.
"Camera" is available now across major streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. Charli XCX’s new album Music, Fashion, Film arrives on July 24.
