{"id":636521,"date":"2026-09-26T09:42:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-26T09:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/636521\/"},"modified":"2026-09-26T09:42:23","modified_gmt":"2026-09-26T09:42:23","slug":"review-setlist-charli-xcx-at-td-garden-boston-sept-24-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/636521\/","title":{"rendered":"Review & setlist: Charli XCX at TD Garden, Boston, Sept. 24, 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tConcert Reviews\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\u201cLast time I was here I was having a mental breakdown. But today, I feel really, really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"
\n\tCharli XCX at TD Garden Thursday. Courtesy Photo \/ Henry Redcliff\t<\/p>\n

Charli XCX, with underscores, at TD Garden, Boston, Sept. 24, 2026.<\/p>\n

\u201cBrat summer\u201d might be over, but on Thursday night at TD Garden, British singer-songwriter Charli XCX ushered in \u201cMusic, Fashion, Film\u201d fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After she achieved such universal success with \u201cBrat\u201d (2024), it was easy to assume Charli\u2019s next tour would fall short in comparison. However, with pyrotechnics, over a dozen backup dancers, and a multi-level structured set, the show went above and beyond expectations. The fifth show of the \u201cMusic, Fashion, Film\u201d tour embraced the black-and-white refined aesthetic of the album while combining it with boldness and spectacle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Charli XCX rose to international stardom early in her career. In 2012, she wrote the chart-topping \u201cI Love It,\u201d which was recorded by Swedish duo Icona Pop and featured her vocals. She was also featured on Iggy Azalea\u2019s \u201cFancy\u201d in 2014, and the same year released \u201cBoom Clap,\u201d her first top ten single in the U.S. as a solo artist.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her subsequent releases had an experimental electronic sound associated strongly with the alternative hyperpop genre that gave her a devoted cult following, even though she has claimed she \u201cdoes not identify with music genres<\/a>.\u201d A decade later, \u201cBrat\u201d launched her back into mainstream pop. <\/p>\n

The lime green imagery, upbeat vibes, and TikTok-friendly verses on \u201cBrat\u201d made it as much of a cultural phenomenon as an album, even getting picked up by Kamala Harris\u2019s 2024 presidential campaign<\/a>. Since then, she released \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d (2026), which served as the soundtrack to Emerald Fennell\u2019s film, and \u201cMusic, Fashion, Film.\u201d Following its release in July, she received immediate critical acclaim for the album\u2019s avant-pop production and introspective lyricism.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With a fierce display of flames and a single amplifier enveloped in smoke, Charli commanded the stage with a fully realized confidence as she performed \u201cRock Music,\u201d a track that signals a shift from dance music to electronic rock. Despite lyrics about the nerve damage in her neck<\/a> she sustained on her previous tour, she thrashed her head along to the beat before she seamlessly transitioned into the heavily rock-inspired \u201cYeah,\u201d which especially highlighted the talent of her lead guitarist and drummer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Charli then addressed the Boston crowd, a sea of black leather jackets like her own with a sprinkling of Brat-green T-shirts. \u201cLast time I was here,\u201d she confessed, \u201cI was having a mental breakdown. But today, I feel really, really good.\u201d She then launched into \u201cApple,\u201d belting out deep lyrics about generational trauma alongside a catchy dance tune that received widespread attention because of a popular TikTok dance set to the song.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Charli\u2019s candidness about her mental health is nothing new. Underneath the synth-pop beats, her lyrics often deal with themes of insecurity, stress, and hopelessness. She assures the audience, \u201cI\u2019m not a bad girl anymore, I promise\u201d in the following performance, \u201cWink Wink.\u201d In \u201cI\u2019m Afraid,\u201d she sings, \u201cI\u2019m too drunk, I can\u2019t sleep, I can\u2019t feel, I\u2019m afraid\u201d with raw emotion reverberating from her full-bodied voice.<\/p>\n

With \u201cCard Declined,\u201d she debuted a cast of 20 models to accompany her as she strutted the runway in a literal smoke show, rousing the audience and indulging the maximalism of the show\u2019s production. During \u201cGirl, so confusing,\u201d the dancing crowd of bra-clad women made the song about womanhood, self-consciousness, and the unique dynamics of female friendships come to life.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Charli XCX and her backup models\/dancers at TD Garden. \u2013 Courtesy Photo \/ Henry Redcliff<\/p>\n

Throughout the show, she was followed closely by a cameraman who was projecting her in stunning high definition on two giant screens in real time. This technique expanded visual accessibility, but it also reflected the themes of the album regarding fame, film, and surveillance. It gave the experience of a live music video set \u2014 the audience was watching both the production and the product at the same time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The lights then turned off altogether while legendary Welsh musician John Cale\u2019s voice boomed out; only a strobe light moved carefully through the arena. Charli then returned to the stage, where she performed her vocals on \u201cHouse\u201d from \u201cWuthering Heights\u201d during a full fireworks display.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cClub classics,\u201d \u201c365,\u201d \u201c360,\u201d \u201cSympathy is a knife,\u201d and \u201cVon Dutch\u201d were performed in quick succession, as if this was a rave and the tracks were being mixed by a live DJ, an ode to the \u201cparty girl\u201d vibe of \u201cBrat.\u201d The crowd understood the assignment, dancing and jumping along.<\/p>\n

Charli then pulled out a \u201csurprise song\u201d from her discography, as she does for each stop on the tour. For the Boston fans, it was \u201cSilver Cross\u201d from her self-titled 2019 album. \u201cYou might not all know it,\u201d she prefaced. \u201cBut this is more for me than it is for you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The backup dancers then returned to the stage for \u201cGuess,\u201d a song that saw its version featuring Billie Eilish reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. During the song, which happens to be about undergarments, a collection of panties rained down from the ceiling of TD Garden.<\/p>\n

Wearing a long gray T-shirt with holes and a chunky rhinestone-studded belt, she performed \u201c2007,\u201d \u201cCamera,\u201d and \u201cparty 4 u\u201d with sincerity, passion, and volume cranked up to the max. She appeared comfortable and unequivocally herself in the spotlight, which was especially apparent in the transition to \u201cVroom Vroom.\u201d Charli climbed to the top of the layered structure in the \u201cdriver\u2019s seat\u201d while her dancers formed the shape of a car.<\/p>\n

She then continued to wow the audience with her performances of the B-side track \u201cPlayboy Bunny,\u201d complete with a black feather boa, and \u201cMagic Metal Montana.\u201d She introduced the latter by reminding everyone that \u201cthis is a song about A.G. Cook,\u201d her executive producer and longtime collaborator.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Charli concluded the set with the final track of \u201cMusic, Fashion, Film:\u201d \u201cNo One Lasts Forever,\u201d a stark reminder of the impermanence of life and the ebbs and flows of ego. The show closed with an extended outro spoken by filmmaker David Cronenberg. As Charli, her dancers, and her band held a collective pose on stage, the camera zoomed out slowly in black and white with the subtitles of Cronenberg\u2019s repeating words: \u201cThey are dead, they are gone, no one lasts forever.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOblivion is freedom\u201d were the first words of the show, and they were repeated once again by Cronenberg at the show\u2019s very close. The success of Charli XCX\u2019s previous album and tour involved pressure to continuously evolve as an artist. But in denouncing that pressure and liberating herself from self-importance, she created invigorating art that brought people together to sing, dance, think, and understand a little more about themselves and each other.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Charli XCX at TD Garden Thursday. \u2013 Courtesy Photo \/ Henry RedcliffSetlist for Charli XCX at TD Garden, Boston, Sept. 24, 2026:
\n\u201cRock Music\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cApple\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWink Wink\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPersona\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCard Declined\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m Afraid\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrack 10\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGirl, so confusing (remix)\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPink Diamond\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHouse\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDying for You\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cClub classics\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c365 (remix)\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c360\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSympathy is a knife\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVon Dutch\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSilver Cross\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess (remix)\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf You Take Away the Music Then What Has She Got?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c2007\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCamera\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cparty 4 u\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVroom Vroom\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlayboy Bunny\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMagic Metal Montana\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSS26\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo One Lasts Forever\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tShannon Murphy<\/a>[email\u00a0protected]<\/a>\t<\/p>\n

Shannon Murphy is a journalist who covers local news, arts, and entertainment, including Boston-area concerts and performances.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the Today newsletter<\/p>\n

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