Charli XCX, known for her electrifying stage presence, has revealed the physical and emotional toll of her performances. Watch video below.
In a recent interview with Variety released on Wednesday, December 4, the 32-year-old pop sensation shared insights into the nerve damage she has sustained from her high-energy shows, admitting that touring has become a deeply challenging experience for her.
“I find touring really hard emotionally,” Charli confessed in the video interview. “I find the stage — especially these days — to be a very angry place for me. I’ve done a lot of physical damage to my body from performing, and I’m often in a lot of pain when I perform. Physically, I have nerve damage in my neck from things I’ve done on the stage.”
Despite these challenges, Charli is gearing up for a 2025 tour to promote her critically acclaimed album, Brat. This announcement follows her collaboration with Troye Sivan on their successful Sweat tour earlier this year, an experience she described as less emotionally taxing.
“For me to give a performance I feel is good enough, I have to really physically throw myself around, and that makes me very upset when I do it,” she admitted. “It’s kind of this hellhole, but being with Troye softens that a lot.”
In addition to discussing her physical struggles, Charli opened up about other aspects of her career in a feature interview with Variety. She reflected on the unexpected success of Brat and shared that pop icon Ariana Grande has been a source of inspiration and guidance.
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Charli revealed that Grande offered her valuable advice on pursuing acting opportunities and hosting Saturday Night Live.
Charli herself hosted SNL in November, following Grande’s turn in September. The pair also bonded over their collaboration on the remix of “Sympathy Is a Knife,” a track both artists found deeply resonant. “She had a lot to say,” Charli said of Grande, noting how the Wicked star connected with the song’s themes. “We went back and forth on the lyrics, talking about all the knives that we both felt in this industry.”
You can watch Charli discuss her nerve damage and challenges as a performer in her full interview with Variety below.