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Photo credit : Whitney Otte

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From Sydney’s Northern Beaches emerges CXLOE, a dualistic, prevailing and commanding pop princess who’s worked hard from her roots and is only soaring upwards. Her first single, “Show You”, was released in 2017 and co-written by Sam Farrar of Maroon 5, and gained well deserved traction for the young artist that led to her touring with the legendary pop band on their 2019 “Red Pill Blues,” tour. Along with also performing with “Broods”, “Carmouflage Rose” and “King Princess”, Chloe also just wrapped up a European leg with the ethereal Griff and has made her presence known all over the globe. 

Chloe credits inspiration drawn from artists like Banks, Lykke Li and Tove Lo, CXLOE’s sound is self described as “Dark Pop”, an affluent blend of alternative and electronic pop. “It’s always got a dark synth or bass running through it… I’m obsessed with pop music, but I think the complexity of the lyrics and the conceptual ideas that I have are quite dark. So paired together, I’d just call it dark pop.”

After spending two years in LA and getting immersed in the subculture of the music scene, CXLOE has announced her first full body of work, “Shiny New Thing”. Coming out of this experience, she has shaped this record around the heavy expectations of trying to exist as a female artist, the unmanageable and inexistent beauty and perfection that is bled out of women until they are deemed unworthy by the industry.

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This endless cycle of new standards and stars is nothing new in the business, with a lot of female artists feeling the pressure to constantly reinvent and be better and shinier regardless of what they have already achieved, just so they don’t get put aside for the next big thing. Chloe discusses how her complex relationship with her identity, and the constant need to rebrand her exterior aesthetic to please listeners and critics around her has influenced a great portion of this album’s morals. The main question to carry with you through this listen is “Am I doing this for me, or am I doing this for other people?”

“Half of Me” starts off the record, and immediately transcends any possible expectations right off of the bat. Angelic harmonising floods the soundscape, which then leaps into a heavy, hypnotic loop beat, with crisp layers of drums and bass. The title could be an embellishment on the journey of this album, referencing how incomplete she was while trying to build up her image, how detached she felt from her own self. It traverses the concept of trying to find another person to fulfil you, when you’ve given so much of yourself away already. Immediately, Chloe has laid out for us how complex and intuitive she has become with her artistry.

“Shiny New Thing” is the title track for the album for a very good reason. It passionately reminiscences on the hollowing pit of never feeling like you’re enough for the one person you want. As the song builds into the final chorus, Chloe’s vocals become more raw, and she practically pleads over the thrumming layers of bass and synth, as she vows to conjure herself into anyone else just so they’ll stay. Her voice is slowly drowned out by the beat, as if she is allowing herself to fade out of this viscous, draining cycle.

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“Shapeshifter” has been on repeat in my head since the first listen. Its sinister, confident bass at the start makes you want to move along with it, and as it builds into the pre chorus, Chloe’s wispy voice morphs around words in a way that makes a cold shiver run down your spine. It’s a dark pop anthem for introverts, for those who find comfort in slowly morphing into someone else just to fit in. Its sleek mystique follows alongside fluidity, it delivers a firm message of being untouchable and unknowable. This and “Shiny New Thing” seem like sister songs to me, from trying to change for someone so they’ll stay, to now becoming a person who can do it sporadically and not letting anyone in because of it.

“Bad Taste” is an exciting example of Chloe’s new, detailed production quality. It’s very linear to the lyricism on track, it starts off very delicate and minimalistic and works to elevate the breathy vocals. The climax of the song begins with a gritty glitching over the bridge, with harmonisation of “I’ll make it easy,” like a glimpse of clarity in the midst of a dense fog, before whirring in an explosive final moment of overwhelming instrumentals.

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Slowly twinkling into view, “No Service” is the second to most recent single from the album. Compared to the rest of the lineup, its sound is softer, a lot more gentle. This song is a fast paced, melancholic spitball of a girl’s darkest fears wrapped up in a nostalgic, gentle beat. “No Service” is easily my standout song on the album, its relatability is a comfortable haze that makes me feel a little bit less alone in my head. The flawless encapsulation of racing thoughts, the endless cycle of burn out, the need to just crumple in someone’s arms and cry, alongside Chloe’s stoic state in the music video creates a mesmerising atmosphere.

Although this album is very emotionally heavy, it also still provides some classic dance beats with tracks like “Wrong About You” and “Gaslight”. It’s a great way of fluctuating between different ambiences and moods, and creates an emotional rollercoaster that really settles deep into the connotations of the album.

“Flight Risk” is impulsive and grand, beginning as soft as a cloud, then a chorus packed with fast paced lyrics and scattering echoes, almost like a sudden outburst from being tied down for too long. It’s fluttering duality is what makes it so impressive, as the gentle ticking that builds up the song is met with a belting sax. Before this song was released as a single, Chloe was interviewed for “Rolling Stone” for “Women in Music Month”. Alongside a striking image of her donned in a draping black gown by “Yousef Akbar” and leather boots, she explains that “Being vulnerable and open goes hand in hand with our role as an artist and storyteller, and that vulnerability can often be mistaken for weakness, or misused as an opportunity for harmful or inappropriate behaviour… It’s all up to us, women included, to hold the industry accountable to change.”

“Cheating on Myself” and “Stretch” provide a new perspective on the inner turmoil of trying to be multifaceted. They hone in on the individual conception of beginning to understand your own personal standards and needs from the people around, and learning to let go of what no longer serves you. While “Cheating on Myself” follows a narrative of realising that you pour all your energy into other people rather than yourself, “Stretch”  is about the resilience that comes to play in a mentally extenuating relationship, and ultimately the fear of abandonment that lingers even when you’re in a healthy environment.

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“Stretch” was written shortly after Chloe was proposed to by her now husband, how she felt like he may grow tired of the emotional volatility, asking that after he understands her deepest darkest thoughts, will he still love her? Once again, these really sad songs at their core are eagerly supported by gorgeously woven and explosive instrumentals that live up to the standards of CXLOE’s dark pop sound.

The last, wispily sung “Stretch” glitches out, and fades into the quick synth of “Chloe Enough!” bringing us to the most interpersonal conclusion to an album I’ve ever heard. You can hear how exhausted she is from her own self loathing, the verses are raw and minimal, whilst the chorus shimmers and glides into the lyrics “I’m trying to tell you, but you won’t understand, why I rip me to shreds.” I would be lying if I said I didn’t choke up listening to this song. After all that Chloe has done to be where she stands now, and finally getting to present this body of work to the world, it must feel so triumphant for her to be able to create a track as translucent and powerful as this, using her own name in the title. 

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“Are you listening yet?” is a mic drop of a lyric, the final on the album, as if she has spent this whole album intricately laying out each flaw she can manifest and her darkest thoughts, and asking, “is this enough?”

Without a shadow of doubt in my mind, CXLOE is on track to become a highly influential and beloved musician not only in Australia, but around the globe. With her divine stage presence, crisp production and strong personal beliefs and vulnerability, Chloe has so much to say and give to the world with her art. If you have the chance, there was an album release party on the 15th of May at the Sily Bar, and the record “Shiny New Thing” is set to release today, on the 17th of May!

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SHINY NEW THING
– OUT NOW
BUY/STREAM HERE

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Follow CXLOE
Instagram – Tik Tok – Spotify – Apple Music

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Press Release 17th May 2024 (below) HERE

CXLOE
releases impressive debut album
SHINY NEW THING

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AMNPLIFY – DB