Charli XCX, courtesy. Terrence O’Connor

Charli XCX has made it abundantly clear she has no intentions of creating the same album twice. Her breakthrough came a decade ago via collaborations with Iggy Azalea and Icona Pop, but collaborations are about the end of the similarities between her music then and now. Since then, she’s covered more musical territory than most of her peers, crafting four distinct albums. She created 2020’s How I’m Feeling Now in just six weeks of lockdown.

She switches gears again for Crash, her fifth album. The production is grander, as is the concept, which draws from classic  femme fatales, and specifically from the  1996 film Crash.

On the new album, she continues to collaborate with the likes of Rina Sawayama, Caroline Polacheck and Christine and the Queens, though the entirety of Crash is much more oriented to mainstream pop audiences. She drifts from the hyper pop and future pop of her previous few releases, instead drawing influence from artists like Madonna and Janet Jackson, and all the way to Charlie Puth.

The title track opens the album and runs just over two minutes in length. Despite the short runtime, it packs a hearty punch. “I’m about to crash into the water, gonna take you with me/ I’m high voltage, self-destructive, end it all so legendary” she sings, delivering nearly every syllable distinctly from the previous. Drums and electric guitar conclude the song, and feature just a small dose of Charli XCX’s signature distortion.

Of the four singles Charli XCX released ahead of the album, “Baby” is the highlight. She delivers the chorus at high speed, singing sexually charged lyrics like, “I got no problem taking full control/ Baby.” There’s “Beg For You” with Sawayama, where the two collaborate over a bouncing beat. “You’re like an ocean breeze, comin’ and goin’ just as you please/ Separated by a degree, hesitate and I lose you,” Sawayama sings during the second verse, with Charli XCX on background vocals.

“Good Ones” is also strong, though it may not add to the breadth of her sound as much. There’s a speedy opening beat, an addictive chorus of vocalizing and long-winded “go-ooh-ooh’s.” Perfume Genius took his stab at remixing the track, adding deep, heavy distortion to the vocals, effectively halting the intensity. It’s actually really impressive, and parts of the remix could have served as a worthwhile interlude or outro to the original.

“Move Me” emulates a sound of high drama. Charli’s vocals are slightly subdued while the music sputters. As she drives her relationship off the road, she thinks about the way her partner moves her, saves her life and holds her body tight.

“Every Rule” slows things way down; at least compared to the relentless energy her music usually conjures. Her “ahhh’s” through the choruses are tinged with a bit of electric distortion as she recounts the early days of a relationship. She ends things with one man and finds chemistry with another. “I’m breaking every rule for you,” she coos. “These moments really set me free.”

Toward the back portion of the album, “Yuck” stands out as another highlight. Charli XCX sings of being a hypocrite with love before launching into another addictive chorus. “Yuck/ Stop acting like a puppy,” she sings, which is only one of several snarky lyrics delivered through this song.

Crash concludes with “Twice.” “All the things I love are gonna leave me/ One day you’re never gonna be there,” she sings on the chorus. While this might be true for lovers, it isn’t for her listeners, as this album is sure to catch their ear again.

Follow Domenic Strazzabosco at Twitter.com/domenicstrazz and Instagram.com/domenicstrazz.