Charli XCX is having an amazing summer. She just released her viral smash "Boys," which features everyone's favorite celebrity crushes in one video, and her birthday is today! To celebrate her 25th birthday, we're taking a look back at Charli's career before she made her smash song for "The Fault in Our Stars." In fact, did you know Charli was a huge songwriter before coming out with her own tracks? You probably also didn't know these 9 songs that she wrote and sang vocals on.
1. "Fancy (feat. Charli XCX)" by Iggy Azalea
This song not only catapulted Iggy Azalea to stardom in 2014 with her "Clueless"-inspired music video, but it also made Charli a household name. Her addictive hook and catchy lyrics made this song a huge hit in 2014 and led her to continue collaborating with I-G-G-Y.
2. "Same Old Love" by Selena Gomez
Selena was first attracted to the song because of its soulful lyrics. She explained that to her, the song was about her strained relationship with her father and how it affected her romantic relationships. The song was released in 2015, but people speculated that the song was actually meant for Rihanna after they found this 2014 tweet with a lyric from the song:
3. "I Love It (feat. Charli XCX)" by Icona Pop
Are you ready for a throwback? Charli's first big hit was actually in 2012 when Icona Pop came out with "I Love It," a classic club anthem. Even more hilarious? Recently-ousted White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci was such a fan of this song that he tweeted about it in 2013:
4. "Bang Bang (feat. R. City, Selah Sue & Craig David) by DJ Fresh & Diplo
Charli and Diplo have an adorable friendship, which includes Charli co-writing this song and featuring him in her "Boys" music video as a puppy-cuddling dreamboat.
5. "Classic Man" by Jidenna (kind of)
When rapper Jidenna debuted his first single "Classic Man," he thought it sounded a little like "Fancy." To save any legal suits that could be filed against him, he credited the writers of "Fancy" (including Charli) for this song. Charli then showed her support for the song on Twitter when it became a bonafide banger.
6. "Boys & Girls (feat. Pia Mia)" by will.i.am
The chorus of this song is classic Charli: a mix of pop-synth magic and lyrics about boys. This song was a big feature for newcomer Pia Mia, who got famous after singing an a capella version of "Hold On, We're Going Home" in front of Drake and Kanye West.
7. "Beg For It (feat. MØ)" by Iggy Azalea
Eight months after the hype of "Fancy," Iggy released this collaboration with MØ. Interestingly, Charli wrote the song and actually sang the original chorus before she was replaced on the track by MØ.
8. "When I Find Love Again" by James Blunt
This one's an interesting genre switch. Adding to the list of Charli's 2014 hits, Blunt's return to the charts was led by this song which, according to ASCAP, credits Charli as a co-writer of the song.
9. "Drum" by MØ
MØ collaborated with Charli once again in 2016 for this single which took fans on a dreamy road trip to the beach.
Her catchy songs, fun music videos, and amazing tweets are the reasons why we love Charli. Happy birthday Charli XCX - we can't wait to see what other great collaborations you'll bring this year!