Pop sensation Charli XCX has spilled the tea on her latest track "Talk Talk," revealing it was inspired by a cheeky encounter with The 1975's George Daniel at the 2020 NME Awards.
Just last week, Charli dropped her sixth studio album, "Brat" (June 5), and barely had the world caught its breath before she unleashed the deluxe edition, featuring three bonus tracks: "Hello Goodbye," "Guess," and "Spring Breakers."
Nestled within the album's vibrant lineup is "Talk Talk," a song that Charli has now confessed was born from a particularly amusing moment at the 2020 NME Awards. That night, she was up for Best Solo Act In The World, Best British Solo Act, and Best Collaboration, and also took the stage to present the Songwriter of the Decade Award to Robyn alongside Christine and the Queens.
“’Talk Talk’ is about a very specific moment where me and my fiancé. We were not together, but we were definitely very into each other.” Charli dished on her TikTok account. “We were at the NME Awards, we were both sat on different tables, and we were like texting each other, but we weren’t hanging out. But we were both looking over at each other – it was very like, one of us would look and the other one would look away, and then just vice versa.”
“You know when you just feel like someone is watching you, you can feel a hole burning in the back of your head or something like that,” she continued. “It was very much that moment.”
“In the song, I say, ‘I followed you to the bathroom and I felt crazy’. I did actually do that! I saw that he went to the bathroom, so I was like, oh, I’ll go to the bathroom and maybe we’ll bump into each other and then we won’t be like texting all the time.”
At that same awards show, The 1975 cleaned up, snagging the Band of the Decade Award, Best British Band, and the NME Innovation Award, and capped the night with a killer live performance.
Charli XCX first collaborated with The 1975 drummer George Daniel in 2021 on the track "Spinning." Their professional chemistry quickly turned personal, with the duo confirming their relationship on social media in 2022 and announcing their engagement in late 2023.
So next time you jam to "Talk Talk," remember it’s not just a catchy tune – it’s a musical nod to a night of stolen glances, near-miss bathroom encounters, and the spark of a romance that has fans swooning. Rock on, Charli!
PHOTO: DAVID M. BENETT/JED CULLEN/DAVE BENETT/GETTY
