Charli XCX has already released three singles from her upcoming album — she kicked things off with the lo-fi track “Forever,” then shared the electro-pop tune “Claws,” before dropping her latest, beat-heavy single “I Finally Understand.”
Charli spoke with Zane Lowe on Apple Beats 1 to discuss the new track and how being in quarantine has helped her reconnect with her boyfriend, which in turn, has inspired her new music. “I’m extremely lucky that quarantine has brought us physically close together — because now we’re living in the same house — but also emotionally, and I finally understand that this person is somebody who I can trust with my life and I will have my security and protection at the front point of their heart no matter what. So that’s what it’s about, very emo.”
https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1258427497387040770
“I Finally Understand” is a catchy, Grimes-esque, dream pop track that suggests a not-so-subtle infatuation. The British songstress does not shy away from expressing her honest feelings about both her romantic relationship and confronting her inner demons. The chorus includes lyrics such as “Baby, I love you bad / that maybe this feeling that I’ve found / might kill me, put me in the ground.”
On a recent Zoom call with fans, Charli said: “The nature of this album is gonna be very indicative of the times just because I’m only gonna be able to use the tools I have at my fingertips to create all music, all artwork, all videos… everything — in that sense, it’ll be very DIY.” She has been enthusiastically seeking the input of her fans throughout the entire creative process of the album by inviting them to get involved on social media and create their own single artwork edits.
“I Finally Understand” will be featured on her much anticipated forthcoming record How I’m Feeling Now, an album that Charli XCX has been recording and producing solely in isolation. It is set for release next week on May 15.