If Charli XCX says it’s cool, then it’s cool.
At the end of her Coachella set on April 19, the Brat superstar declared the official end of Brat summer while also announcing the rise of more than twenty new summers on the horizon. Amidst blaring strobe lights and quick slides flashed across the giant stage screen, fans got a glimpse of the musicians and filmmakers officially blessed by Miss XCX herself.
“Honestly I just want this moment to last forever,” flashed one of Charli’s messages across the screen. “Please don’t let it be over.”
Fans have been quick to figure out that Charli’s passing the torch to artists who have projects coming out this summer, like Lorde’s new single “What Was That” (releasing “soon,” says Lorde) and PinkPantheress’ new unspecified release on May 9.
Who earned Charli XCX’s coveted seal of endorsement? We had to know, too. Whether you’re here for the recs or just trust her impeccable sense of taste, here’s the full list of all 26 names that earned an official thumbs-up from Charli.
Addison Rae Summer
Besides joining Charli onstage at Coachella for a surprise performance of their “Von Dutch” remix, Addison Rae made headlines when she announced the official release date of her highly anticipated debut album. After taking the Coachella stage with Venezuelan singer Arca for a performance of “Arcamarine / Aquamarine,” Rae turned around and revealed the text “June 6th” printed in bold white font across her baby-pink underwear.
First making it big as a TikTok celebrity, Rae has since shifted to releasing viral musical successes, including “2 Die 4” (another Charli collab), “Diet Pepsi” (the first single off her upcoming debut album), and “Aquamarine.”
Lorde Summer
It’s Lorde — of course it’s her summer! After a four-year hiatus away from the spotlight, the ethereal popstar has officially announced her upcoming new single, “What Was That.” Lorde previously teased the release in her first-ever post on TikTok, which featured the New Zealand native walking through New York City’s Washington Square Park while listening to a snippet of “What Was That.” “Since I was 17, I gave you everything,” she sang in the video. “Now we wake from a dream, well baby, what was that?” Lorde also appeared at Coachella as one of Charli’s special guests, delighting fans with a surprise performance of “Girl, So Confusing.”
PinkPantheress Summer
After breaking out on TikTok in 2021 with her single “Break It Off,” PinkPantheress has steadily risen to viral success. In a recent cryptic Instagram post, the rising star teased a release date: “May 9.” Though exactly what’s dropping remains a mystery for now.
Haim Summer
Five long years after dropping their last album, Women in Music Pt. III, the HAIM sisters are finally back, much to fans’ delight, with the release of their new single, “Relationships.” Photographed by Terrence O’Connor, the single’s cover art features the three sisters paying homage to the viral paparazzi pic of Nicole Kidman squinting under the sunlight on an empty street. Although no release date for the band’s upcoming album has been set just yet, the sisters have been dropping hints about the album’s contents, including a Beyoncé-inspired sample from George Michael.
Aidan Zamiri Summer
If you haven’t heard about Aidan Zamiri yet, Charli’s sure to put the Scottish photographer and filmmaker on the map. Zamiri will make his directorial debut with The Moment, an upcoming A24 project that Charli is not only producing (through her new company Studio365) but also starring in. The Moment is reportedly based on the pop star’s own original idea, although plot details have yet to be announced.
Yung Lean Summer
Swedish rapper Yung Lean, widely regarded as one of the more influential figures of the early cloud rap genre, recently released his latest single “Babyface Maniacs,” along with dates for his 2025 tour across North America and Europe. “Babyface Maniacs,” which Lean describes as “a story of love, romance on dirt roads leaving everyone and everything behind,” is just one of the singles on the rapper’s forthcoming album Jonatan, which is set to release on May 2.
Ethel Cain Summer
Described by Rolling Stone as “one of the most intriguing rising stars in pop,” Ethel Cain recently announced her highly anticipated sophomore album, Willoughby Tucker, I Will Always Love You, which is scheduled for release this August. Known for experimental and darker, Gothic-inspired aesthetic, Cain has also announced a lengthy tour across North America and Europe to accompany the release of her album, named after her high school boyfriend, whom she also sang about in her debut album, Preacher’s Daughter.
Cronenberg Summer
The body horror auteur is making a comeback at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival with the premiere of his new film, The Shrouds this May. Cronenberg has gifted audiences with his latest meditation on grief, comedy, high-tech graveyards, and the grotesque. The Shrouds follows entrepreneur Karsh (Vincent Cassel) who, after the loss of his spouse Becca (Diane Kruger), creates a machine that can help him speak with the dead.
Best known for modern horror masterpieces like The Fly and Dead Ringers, Cronenberg has mentioned that The Shrouds could be his swan song. “The world doesn’t need my next film,” the director told the LA Times.
Kali Uchis Summer
Immediately after signing a new label deal with Capitol Records on March 17, Kali Uchis announced the release of her fifth studio album, Sincerely. Although the “Telepatía” star has yet to give a release date for the album, her 2024 album Orquídeas debuted at Number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking her highest-charting album to date.
Pulp Summer
It took the English rock band 24 years to put out a new album (the last one was their LP We Love Life back in 2001), but they finally did it! Over the course of three weeks (“the shortest amount of time a Pulp album has ever taken to record,” says frontman Jarvis Cocker), the band recorded More, which comes out on June 6. The group has already released one of the album’s singles, “Spike Island,” complete with an AI inspired music video.
Sean Price Williams Summer
Sean Price Williams is the kind of filmmaker that die-hard, Letterboxd-loving cinephiles (Charli included) would rave about. After working as a cinematographer for major indie successes like A24’s Good Time (starring a crazed Robert Pattinson) and more commercial hits like the music video for Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please,” Williams made his directorial debut in 2023 with the surrealist road trip film The Sweet East. Although Williams doesn’t have any major releases or announcements this year (that we know of!), his 2024 drama, Between the Temples, received praise from fans and critics alike. Plus, it starred Dolly De Leon!
Perfume Genius Summer
Indie pop darling Perfume Genius is so back with Glory, his seventh LP and what he describes as “one of the boldest artistic statements of his 15-year career.” Released on March 28, Glory has been met overall with positive reviews, with the singer’s fans praising it for its creative confidence and melodic departure from his previous successes. Perfume Genius recently announced the dates for his 2025 tour across the United States, which begins on May 12.
Rosalía Summer
Spanish singer Rosalía has been teasing her upcoming album since October 2024, posting several cryptic (and gory) photos on social media pointing to the follow-up to her 2022 success, Motomami. Featured on Pitchfork’s list of “The 50 Most Anticipated Albums of Spring 2025,” Rosalía’s next album is sure to achieve the same level of acclaim as her recent work, including “New Woman,” a collaboration with Lisa.
Ari Aster Summer
While many know American filmmaker Ari Aster for his terrifying feature-length films (e.g. Hereditary, Midsommar, Beau is Afraid), Aster’s taking a stab at being funny with his upcoming black comedy western Eddington. Premiering at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival this May, Eddington follows a stand-off showdown between a small town’s sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix) and the town’s mayor (Pedro Pascal). Oh, and Emma Stone plays the sheriff’s wife, and Austin Butler is a preacher-slash-influencer who posts his sermons on YouTube and Instagram.
Kogonada Summer
South Korean-born American filmmaker Kogonada has a number of pensive, indie darlings under his belt, including Columbus and After Yang. His upcoming film, A Big Bold Beautiful Journey, is a romantic fantasy starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, along with Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Hamish Linklater. Scheduled to release in U.S. theaters on September 19, the film has remained quietly under the radar (until Miss XCX’s big shout-out, that is). It is described as “an imaginative tale of two strangers and the extraordinary emotional journey that connects them.”
Caroline Summer
London-based rock band caroline have returned three years later with their much-awaited sophomore album, Caroline 2, which arrives on May 30. Ahead of the album’s release, caroline has teamed up with Caroline Polachek (Two Carolines!) to create their lead single, “Tell Me I Never Knew That.” The band’s self-titled debut album back in 2022 was an indie success, winning over critics and fans alike with its intricate instrumentation and genre-blurring sound.
PTA (Paul Thomas Anderson) Summer
Paul Thomas Anderson, best known for directing cinematic masterpieces such as There Will Be Blood and Boogie Nights, returns with his most expensive film to date, which has an estimated production budget of $140 million. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio alongside Benicio del Toro, Alana Haim, and Sean Penn, One Battle After Another promises to be a gritty, violent drama that follows a group of former revolutionaries as they try to track down one of their own’s missing daughter.
Joachim Trier Summer
Danish-Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier’s latest project, Sentimental Value, premieres in competition at the upcoming 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Described as “intimate and moving exploration of family, memories, and the reconciliatory power of art,” the film stars The Worst Person in the World’s Renate Reinsve, Dune’s Stellan Skarsgård, and A Beautiful Unknown’s Elle Fanning.
These New Puritans Summer
Experimental English pop-rock duo These New Puritans recently announced their upcoming album Crooked Wing, releasing on May 23. The pair have also released two singles: “Industrial Love Song (feat. Caroline Polachek),” which band member Jack Barnett has described as a “duet between two cranes on a building site,” and “Bells,” which started with a field recording of a “bell in a small Greek Orthodox Church.”
Hailey Benton Gates Summer
After a career as a model, actress, journalist, and television host, Hailey Benton Gates made her directorial debut this year with Atropia, an American war satire film starring Arrested Development’s Alia Shawkat and Masters of the Air’s Callum Turner (who is Dua Lipa’s boyfriend). The film focuses on an aspiring actress (Shawkat) who falls in love with a soldier (Turner) in an American role-playing military facility set against the backdrop of the Iraq War. Although Atropia premiered earlier this January at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival (albeit to mixed reviews), Charli may have been giving Gates a shout-out for her role in the upcoming A24 film The Drama, directed by Dream Scenario’s Kristoffer Borgli. The film will star Zendaya and Robert Pattinson.
Turnstile Summer
The long-awaited sequel to hardcore rock band Turnstile’s 2021 debut Glow On is finally scheduled to drop on June 6. After years developing a reputation in the American hard rock scene, Turnstile broke through with Glow On, earning the group three Grammy nominations. Ahead of their album release, Turnstile has released a music video for its title track, directed by band members Brendan Yates and Pat McCory.
A$ap Rocky Summer
Although A$AP Rocky has been dodging questions about his latest album’s release date ( “Don’t do me like that,” he replied when asked during an Instagram interview with The People Gallery), the Harlem rapper has shared that he is currently putting the finishing touches on Don’t Be Dumb. While the rapper had initially announced a 2024 release, fans speculate that the delay may have been caused by the rapper preparing to stand trial for allegedly shooting former friend Relli in 2021.
Aronofsky Summer
American director Darren Aronofsky has built a reputation for more morose and stress-inducing dramas, including The Whale, Mother!, and Requiem For A Dream. His upcoming film, Caught Stealing, which is scheduled to premiere this August, promises to be a lighter crime thriller. The film centers around ex-baseball player Hank Thompson (Austin Butler) who, after taking a gig cat-sitting for his mohawk-sporting friend (Matt Smith), finds himself accidentally embroiled in the world of Orthodox Jewish businessmen and Russian gangsters. Butler’s girlfriend is played by Zoë Kravitz, and stars such as Regina King and Bad Bunny are also somewhere in the mix.
Blood Orange Summer
English singer Devonté Hynes, also known as Blood Orange, has been steadily teasing new music over the last year, although no official releases have been made yet. His last EP, Four Songs, was released in 2022 and met with critical acclaim for its lyrical vulnerability and melancholic melodies. Fans have theorized that the singer will release his new album later this year, although his Instagram stories suggest personal delays.
Bon Iver Summer
Justin Vernon, known better as his honey-voiced, melancholic alias Bon Iver, just dropped a new album. Titled SABLE, fABLE, the record was released on April 11 and marks the singer’s first full-length album in nearly six years. The album is divided into two parts: SABLE, which serves as a reflective prologue, and fABLE, a vibrant continuation that explores themes of new love and personal growth.
Celine Song Summer
After her Oscar-nominated and heartbreaking directorial debut Past Lives, director Celine Song returns to the silver screen with Materialists, a (hopefully) more lighthearted love story. Premiering in US theaters on June 13, the star-studded rom-com follows cutthroat matchmaker Lucy (Dakota Johnson), who finds herself caught in a love triangle between a rugged, bad-boy ex (Chris Evans) and a suave billionaire (Pedro Pascal).
