Charli XCX has responded to criticisms of her headlining set on the Other Stage at Glastonbury 2025.
Following her head-turning ‘Brat’ victory lap at the Other Stage on Saturday (28 June), a number of viewers watching her livestream on BBC’s iPlayer took to social media to slam the singer for performing with autotune. Some have called her “the worst performer”, while others called the set “one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life”.
It's official Charli XCX is the worst performer I have ever seen at Glastonbury, Bez from the Mondays sings more.
— Dean (@DeansterMc) June 28, 2025
One thing I will never understand is why Charli xcx is as big as she is, shite music, sounds so bad she has to sing with so much autotune everytime she performs live. What am I missing here? #Glastonbury2025
— BDog (@b_daws19) June 28, 2025
This Glastonbury set by Charli XCX is one of the worst things I’ve ever seen in my life. Barely singing, autotune in the rare moments she does sing a bit and horrendous dancing. Be fuming if you spent ages getting into that crowd only to see thay
— Tom Guy (@TomGuy93) June 28, 2025
On Sunday (June 29), Charli voiced her opinions on the discourse on social media. She wrote in the first of several tweets: “Like the idea that singing with deliberate autotune makes you a fraud or that not having a traditional band suddenly means you must not be a “real artist” is like, the most boring take ever. yawn sorry just fell asleep xx”
Charli XCX live at Glastonbury 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME
She followed up: “But to be honest… I enjoy the discourse. [In my opinion] the best art is divisive and confrontational and often evolves into truly interesting culture rather than being like kind of ok, easily understood and sort of forgettable.”
like the idea that singing with deliberate autotune makes you a fraud or that not having a traditional band suddenly means you must not be a “real artist” is like, the most boring take ever. yawn sorry just fell asleep xx
— Charli (@charli_xcx) June 29, 2025
but to be honest… i enjoy the discourse. imo the best art is divisive and confrontational and often evolves into truly interesting culture rather than being like kind of ok, easily understood and sort of forgettable.
— Charli (@charli_xcx) June 29, 2025
Commenters went even harder at the singer for her opinion: “The idea that you can’t sing and have to hide behind auto-tune as a stylistic choice, because otherwise no one would be interested or pay attention to you as an artist, well yes, we all know you’re untalented.”
Charli XCX live at Glastonbury 2025. Credit: Derek Bremner for NME
Charli XCX ended her discourse with one final tweet: “really enjoying these boomer vibe comments on my glastonbury performance. it’s super fascinating to me.”
really enjoying these boomer vibe comments on glastonbury performance. it’s super fascinating to me.
— Charli (@charli_xcx) June 29, 2025
During her headline set, Charli XCX celebrated ‘Brat’ by performing hits off the album like ‘365’, ‘Apple’, ‘Von Dutch’, ‘Girl, So Confusing’ and more. At the end of the set, she declared that ‘Brat Summer‘ may not be over after all, declaring that “it’s a forever thing”. The show also saw Gracie Abrams present and on-screen to deliver the viral ‘Apple Dance‘.
Elsewhere at Glastonbury, Charli XCX followed up her high octane Other Stage set with a surprise and intimate DJ set with her fiancé, The 1975 drummer George Daniel.
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos and more from Glastonbury 2025.
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