She began posting songs on Myspace in before entering the London rave scene. Signing a recording contract with Asylum Records in , Charli XCX released a series of singles and mixtapes in the early s.
In , she was featured on " I Love It " by Swedish duo Icona Pop , with the song becoming her first number-one hit in the UK and receiving global success. Her debut studio album, True Romance , was released to positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations. The same year, she released " Boom Clap ", which became her first solo top-ten single in the US. Her second studio album, the punk -influenced Sucker , spawned the singles " Break the Rules " and " Doing It ".
She began working alongside producers associated with the UK collective PC Music in , developing a more experimental sound and image.
Her third studio album, Charli , produced the hit single " ". She contributed the UK top-ten single " Speed Drive " as part of the soundtrack of the film Barbie. Her sixth studio album, Brat , became her second UK number-one album and was named the best album of by various publications such as Billboard and Rolling Stone. Charlotte Emma Aitchison was born in Cambridge on 2 August , the only child of nurse and flight attendant Shameera and entrepreneur and show booker Jon Aitchison.
Her mother was born into a Muslim family of Gujarati Indian descent in Uganda , while her father is Scottish. She has spoken extensively about her difficulties at school growing up, stating that she was a " half-Indian girl with frizzy hair" among predominantly white people and that she was bullied and discriminated against for her Indian heritage.
