Charli XCX Speaks on Her ‘Sometimes Volatile’ Global Impact, Universal Wins Publisher of the Year and More From 2024 ASCAP Pop Awards
Charli XCX was honored with the ASCAP Global Impact award during the organization’s 2024 Pop Awards at the Houdini Estate in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.
Surrounded by the late, legendary escape artist’s lavish green gardens, Charli accepted one of the most prestigious awards of the night from veteran songwriter Paul Williams, president and chairman of the board for ASCAP.
More from Variety
Chappell Roan and Dan Nigro Tease Theatrical Singer's Next Album
Charli XCX and Troye Sivan Team Up for 'Sweat' Arena Tour, Including Madison Square Garden Show
Charli XCX Drops New Singles 'Club Classics' and 'B2b' Alongside 'Brat' Release Date and Tracklist
“If I feel that my work is making people overwhelmingly happy or making others unbelievably annoyed, then I know that I’m doing my job properly,” the avant-pop singer and producer said in her acceptance speech. “And whilst I love music, I’m personally more interested in the role of pop stars and public figures in parallel to art, and how we can use all the tools that we have at our fingertips to challenge current social, cultural, and creative norms. For me, being a true artist with global impact is much more than just having a good voice or a big song or a good album… it’s about having a personal identity, which can sometimes be volatile — sorry to my team, I love you — It can’t be tamed by teams. It can’t be squeezed neatly into an easily defined box and it can never ever, really, truly be replicated.”
Ahead of the show, Charli teased her upcoming record, “Brat,” on the carpet with Variety, saying “We’ve been testing the album out in different club settings and the one we played in [Brooklyn with the Dare], is unfinished and we were mixing that song today actually, so we kind of learned from playing it in that environment, and we’ve tweaked some things.”
While in Brooklyn, Charli also teased songs at a public event where she stood atop a van with multiple speakers with a sea of hundreds as her audience. “It was so fun and really rowdy,” she says. “I damaged the car and felt horrible about it. Everyone was meme-ing me, making the comparison to Michael Jackson on top of an SUV. It was definitely a surreal moment to see just how many people showed up.”
Charli also took some time to reflect on her long career, and reaping the rewards she sowed with her 2013 debut, “True Romance,” to her experimental “Pop 2,” and now “Brat.”
“In the past, I’ve struggled to fully be myself all the time and I feel more embraced than ever from the fans, from the industry and with things like [this Global Impact Award],” she said. “It’s just like a kind of vibrance that I feel for my fan base and it’s nice that it’s happening now whilst I truly feel like I’m just being me.”
On stage, Charli concluded her acceptance with a toast to “all the real artists out there,” and pointed to Chappell Roan and said, “You are absolutely one of them.”
Roan was there to present Dan Nigro with the songwriter of the year award, a trophy he shares with Olivia Rodrigo. In her speech, Roan touched on Nigro’s past, joking she discovered him from his appearance in a Pizza Hut commercial, and later praising his role in Sky Ferreira’s debut album.
Nigro told Variety the pair had started working on Roan’s upcoming album in the last few days. Roan is just one of the many rising pop stars in Nigro’s repertoire of collaborators that also includes Conan Gray. “I’m just so lucky that I get to work with awesome people that make amazing music,” he said.
Meanwhile, Roan shared praise for another pop singer, Sabrina Carpenter, who is having a major moment with her single “Espresso,” the No. 4 song in United States, as of last week.
“I love ‘Espresso.’ I love it so much,” she said. “She invited me into her Coachella trailer when we were there and I got to talk to her for the first time and it was just so… I was like, ‘Oh my God, I need to be friends with more pop girls’ because I feel crazy sometimes and having someone going through it at the same time as you can be so grounding in a way. I just love to see the girls win.”
Steph Jones — who co-wrote Espresso with fellow honoree Amy Allen, and Julian Bunetta — gushed about Carpenter saying, “I met her when she was 16 or 17 so it feels so cool to see where she’s headed now. We always knew she had that ‘it factor,’ and I’ve just always been the biggest fan. I would never be able to do what she does — she’s always ten minutes early to sessions, there’s a drive and a level of perseverance and dedication to the craft that she has that is incomparable.”
Jones also said she is working on Carpenter’s upcoming, unannounced album. Leon Thomas, an honoree for SZA’s “Snooze,” also revealed he is currently producing R&B star Giveon’s next project.
The ASCAP Pop Awards also honored Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” as the song of the year. The song topped the Billboard Pop, Adult Pop and Rhythmic Airplay charts, and hit No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Publisher of the year went to Universal Music Publishing Group for songs including “Calm Down,” “Cuff It” (Beyonce), “Dance the Night” (Dua Lipa), “Barbie World” (Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice with Aqua), “Lavender Haze” (Taylor Swift), and “Paint the Town Red” (Doja Cat),“ among others. ASCAP also praised the company for sparring with TikTok over royalty payments and AI policies.
Other 2024 ASCAP Pop Music Award-winning songwriters include Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff (“All I Want for Christmas Is You”), Dua Lipa (“Dance the Night”), Noah Kahan (“Dial Drunk”), St. Vincent (“Cruel Summer”) and Meghan Trainor (“Made You Look”).
The ASCAP Pop Music Awards chose their winners based on data offered by terrestrial and satellite radio and programmed and on-demand audio streams, all provided by Luminate Data LLC in accordance with ASCAP’s publicly available rules.
See the complete winners list below.
GLOBAL IMPACT AWARD: Charli XCX
SONGWRITERS OF THE YEAR: Olivia Rodrigo & Daniel Nigro
SONG OF THE YEAR: “Calm Down”
Writers: Selena Gomez, Michael “LONDON” Hunter, Amanda “Kiddo A.I.” Ibanez, Rema, Andre Vibez; Publishers: Hook Like Behavior, Kobalt Music Publishing, LIVELIHOOD MUSIC COMPANY, SMG Tunes, Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music
PUBLISHER OF THE YEAR: Universal Music Publishing Group
MOST PERFORMED SONGS:
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU
Writers:
Walter Afanasieff, Mariah Carey,
Publishers:
BEYONDIDOLIZATION, Kobalt Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, Tamal Vista Music, Universal Music Publishing Group
ALL MY LIFE
Writers:
Lukasz “dr. luke” Gottwald, Theron Thomas
Publishers:
Kasz Money Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing, THOMASSTARTING5
BABY DON’T HURT ME
Writers:
Mike Hawkins, Toby Green, David Guetta, Karin Hartmann, Akil “worldwidefresh” King, Tony Hendrik, Steve Mac
Publishers:
Kobalt Music Publishing, Reservoir Media, d/b/a Shapiro, Bernstein & Co, Inc., Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music
BAD IDEA RIGHT?
Writers:
DANIEL NIGRO, OLIVIA RODRIGO
Publishers:
DANIEL LEONARD NIGRO MUSIC, LIV LAF LUV, Sony Music Publishing
BARBIE WORLD
Writers:
Rene Dif, Claus Norreen, Lene Nystrøm, Johnny Pedersen, Søren Rasted
Publishers:
Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music
BLOODY MARY
Writers:
DJ White Shadow, DJ Snake
Publishers:
Maxwell & Carter Publishing, Primary Wave Music, Songs of Peer Ltd., Universal Music Publishing Group
CHEMICAL
Writers:
Louis Bell, Billy Walsh
Publishers:
Bell Ear Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, WMMW Publishing
CREEPIN’
Writers:
Chauncey Hawkins, Erick Sermon, PND
Publishers:
Sony Music Publishing, Hot Heat Music, Kobalt Music Publishing, Notting Dale Songs Inc., Spirit Music Group
CRUEL SUMMER
Writer:
ANNIE CLARK
Publishers:
Hipgnosis Songs Group, NAIL POLISH MANIFESTO MUSIC
CUFF IT
Writers:
Blu June, The-Dream, Morten “Rissi” Ristorp, Beyoncé, Allen McGrier, Raphael Saadiq
Publishers:
Eleven Eleven Studios, Sony Music Publishing, Halla!Halla! Publishing, MC NELLA MUSIC, Midnight Magnet Music Publishing, Oakland 13 Music, Roynet Music, Ugmoe Music, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music
DANCE THE NIGHT
Writer:
Dua Lipa
Publishers:
Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner-Olive Music
DAYLIGHT
Writer:
Hayden Hubers
Publisher:
Haydmusic
DIAL DRUNK
Writer:
Noah Kahan
Publishers:
Secret Meadow Songs, Sony Music Publishing
EYES CLOSED
Writers:
MAX MARTIN, Shellback
Publisher:
Kobalt Music Publishing
FAST CAR
Writer:
Tracy Chapman
Publisher:
Purple Rabbit Music
FORGET ME
Writers:
Lewis Capaldi, Pete “Merf” Kelleher, Ben Kohn, Philip Plested
Publishers:
BMG, Sony Music Publishing
FUKUMEAN
Writer:
Florion Ongonga
Publishers:
Florion Ongonga, Warner Chappell Music
GOLDEN HOUR
Writers:
JVKE, Zac Lawson
Publishers:
JVKE SONGZ, Kobalt Music Publishing, Melodies of Seventy7 Music, ZVC SONGZ
GREEDY
Writer:
Amy Allen
Publisher:
Warner Chappell Music
HOLD ME CLOSER
Writers:
Bernie Taupin, Henry “Cirkut” Walter
Publishers:
Cirkut Breaker LLC, Critter Toons, Universal Music Publishing Group
HOW DO I SAY GOODBYE
Writer:
Jon Hume
JADED
Writer:
Greg Kurstin
Publishers:
Sony Music Publishing, Kurstin Music
JIMMY COOKS
Writers:
21 Savage, Anderson “Vinylz” Hernandez
Publishers:
Slaughter Gang, Virgoat, Warner Chappell Music
JUST WANNA ROCK
Writers:
Mohamed Camara, Lil Uzi Vert
Publishers:
Anthems of Platinum Grammar, ASCAPUZI, McVertt LLC, Warner Chappell Music
LAST NIGHT
Writers:
Ashley Gorley, JACOB “JKASH” HINDLIN
Publishers:
Kobalt Music Publishing, Domain Capital Group, Poppy’s Picks, Prescription Songs, RAP KINGPIN MUSIC, Sony Music Publishing
LAVENDER HAZE
Writer:
Zoe Kravitz
Publishers:
Universal Music Publishing Group, ZOE KRAVITZ PUBLISHING
LIFT ME UP
Writer:
Ryan Coogler
Publishers:
MARVEL COMICS MUSIC INC, Walt Disney Music Company
LIL BOO THANG
Writers:
Sean Cook, Al McKay, Paul Russell, Maurice White
Publishers:
Sony Music Publishing, Paul Jeffrey Russell Music, Steel Chest Music, Warner Chappell Music
MADE YOU LOOK
Writer:
Meghan Trainor
Publishers:
I Love Tommy Bruce Publishing, Sony Music Publishing
NEED A FAVOR
Writers:
Austin Nivarel, Joe Ragosta
Publishers:
Austin Nivarel Publishing, BMG, Sony Music Publishing
NONSENSE
Writer:
Steph Jones
Publishers:
Hipgnosis Songs Group, Steph Jones Who Music, Walt Disney Music Company
PAINT THE TOWN RED
Writers:
Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Jean Baptiste
Publishers:
BMG, Kobalt Music Publishing, LORD PHARAOH JB MUSIC, New Hidden Valley Music Co, Primary Wave Music, Fuji Music Group, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
RICH FLEX
Writers:
Charles Bernstein, 21 Savage, Tip “T.I.” Harris, Anderson “Vinylz” Hernandez
Publishers:
Pimp Squad Publishing, Slaughter Gang, Turnstyle Music, Virgoat, Warner Chappell Music
SEARCH & RESCUE
Writers:
Jeremiah Raisen, Wesley Curtis, Noah “40” Shebib
Publishers:
Heavy Duty Music, Kobalt Music Publishing, Roncesvalles Music Publishing, Sony Music Publishing
SHIRT
Writer:
Robert “Freaky Rob” Gueringer
Publisher:
ROB GUERINGER LLC
SINGLE SOON
Writers:
Selena Gomez, JACOB “JKASH” HINDLIN, Phil Phever
Publishers:
High Phever Music, Kobalt Music Publishing, Prescription Songs, RAP KINGPIN MUSIC, SMG Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group
SNAP
Writers:
Jeremy “Kinetics” Dussolliet, Courtney Harrell
Publishers:
DYLANBOY MUSIC LLC, Kinetics and One Love, Kobalt Music Publishing, Lemondreams, Warner Chappell Music
SNOOZE
Writer:
Leon Thomas
Publishers:
Eclectic Collective Publishing, Sony Music Publishing
SPIN BOUT U
Writers:
21 Savage, Tenaia Sanders, Noah “40” Shebib
Publishers:
Kobalt Music Publishing, OOB PRODUCTIONS, Roncesvalles Music Publishing, Slaughter Gang, Warner Chappell Music
STAR WALKIN’ (LEAGUE OF LEGENDS WORLDS ANTHEM)
Writer:
Henry “Cirkut” Walter
Publishers:
Cirkut Breaker LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
SUNSHINE
Writers:
Alexander “A.E.” Edwards, Asher Saperstein, Armen Zabounian
Publishers:
BackBasement Productions, Kobalt Music Publishing, Peyote Beats Music, Prescription Songs, Slashmania, Sony Music Publishing
SURE THING
Writer:
Miguel
Publishers:
Amaya Sofia Publishing, Art Dealer Chic, Universal Music Publishing Group
SWEET HOME ALABAMA
Writer:
Ed King
Publishers:
EMI FULL KEEL MUSIC, Universal Music Publishing Group
THINKIN’ BOUT ME
Writer:
Ashley Gorley
Publishers:
Michael Scott Paper Company Publishing Company, Sony Music Publishing
TITI ME PREGUNTO
Publishers:
RSM Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
TOMORROW 2
Writers:
Cardi B, Javaan “Big Toga” Anderson
Publishers:
Eeeooowww Music, Feels Like Summer Ent, Sony Music Publishing, Warner Chappell Music
UNDER THE INFLUENCE
Writer:
Tiffany McKie
Publishers:
TIFFANY MCKIE JAYDE MUSIC, Vydia, Inc.
VAMPIRE
Writers:
DANIEL NIGRO, OLIVIA RODRIGO
Publishers:
DANIEL LEONARD NIGRO MUSIC, LIV LAF LUV, Sony Music Publishing
WHAT IT IS (BLOCK BOY)
Writers:
Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Harris, Lawrence (La) Edwards ll aka Lil Atlanta Trill, Jamal Glaze, LaMarquis ‘Lokey’ Jefferson, Akil “worldwidefresh” King, Brian Kennedy
Publishers:
Air Control Music, BMG, Sony Music Publishing, Kandacy Music, Me And Marq Music, MONEY STACKS PUBLISHING LLC, MR FUNKADELIC PUBLISHING LLC, Tiny Tam Music, Warner Chappell Music
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
