Charli XCX shared her admiration for The Velvet Underground's 1967 album “The Velvet Underground & Nico” during her acceptance speech at Variety's Hitmakers Awards.
Speaking at the Hitmaker of the Year Awards, Charli discussed the album's commercial success and its cultural impact. “In March 1967, The Velvet Underground released their album ‘The Velvet Underground And Nico,’” she said. “It debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 199. And a few weeks later, it rose to its peak position of 195. But don't worry, it fell off and then re-entered the charts. And Lou Reed later told Brian Eno that it only sold about 30,000 copies in the first five years.”
She continued: “In my humble opinion, this record is the definition of a hit. This record is perhaps one of the most influential and innovative records of our time. This album represents the pinnacle of the collision of fine art and DIY culture. It's high and low, it's poetry meets drugs, sincerity meets arrogance, and even if you've never heard a single song from this album, you'll undoubtedly recognize its cover, whether from the walls of a contemporary art gallery or from an urban outfit shop.” .
“And let's be honest: What is success if you don't conquer both of these places?” she added. “My album cover has not yet appeared at the Guggenheim, Whitney or Tate. However, some of my items are available for purchase right now at Urban Outfitters. I guess that means I'm halfway there. So thank you very much, Variety.”
Charli will be performing at several festivals in 2025, including Parklife and LIDO festivals in London, where she will also curate the daytime line-up. She will also perform at the Coachella and Primavera Sound festivals in Barcelona and Porto.
The dates read in full:
APRIL
15th Coachella Festival, California, USA
22nd Coachella Festival, California, USA
MAYBE
29 Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain
JUNE
1 Primavera Sound, Porto, Portugal
8th Parklife Festival, Manchester, UK
15th LIDO Festival, London, UK
