Updated
Updated · KQED · Aug 8
Charli xcx Drops Black Thongs on Outside Lands Crowd During 85-Minute Headlining Set
Updated
Updated · KQED · Aug 8

Charli xcx Drops Black Thongs on Outside Lands Crowd During 85-Minute Headlining Set

3 articles · Updated · KQED · Aug 8

Summary

  • Black thongs rained from the sky during Charli xcx’s performance of “Guess,” turning the Billie Eilish collaboration into the night’s most talked-about visual at Outside Lands on Friday.
  • The stunt fit an 85-minute headlining set built as a tightly controlled spectacle, with pyrotechnics, runway-style staging, dancers and rapid-fire transitions that left little room for banter.
  • Songs from new album “Music, Fashion, Film” drove the show’s self-referential themes about fame and creativity, while reworked “Brat” tracks such as “365 Party Girl” kept tens of thousands dancing.
  • The performance underscored Charli’s post-“Brat” status as a pop headliner, framing her latest material as both a high-energy festival show and a statement about shedding expectations.

Insights

Did GloRilla or Wet Leg quietly steal Friday at Outside Lands while Charli xcx staged the night’s most controlled pop spectacle?
Can Charli xcx turn Brat’s chaos into a lasting new era, or did Outside Lands reveal how fragile pop reinvention really is?