Charli XCX’s Wardrobe Malfunction: Actual Accident or Part of the Pop Star’s Meta Celebrity Schtick?
Charli XCX laughed off what could have been an awkward wardrobe malfunction while filming a presenting bit for the 2021 ARIA Awards.
Wardrobe malfunctions happen from time to time, whether you're a celebrity or not. Many of us have lived through that awkward moment when a pair of pants rip on the dance floor or a top slips down and reveals more than you were hoping to show. Anyone who's been there knows how it feels. When you live life in front of a multitude of cameras, some of those moments wind up documented in high resolution.
The "Good Ones" hit-maker was reminded of that while filming a segment announcing the winner for the Best Pop Release category — The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber's "Stay" — during a taped segment for the virtual awards show, according to Billboard.
Her presentation went off without a hitch on air, but over the weekend Charli took to Instagram to laugh off a wardrobe malfunction that was left on the cutting room floor.
After she shared a congratulatory wave with the winners, the strap on her dress slid off her shoulder and left the pop star exposed. Charli let out a snort of laughter and quickly pulled the strap back up where it belonged. Instead of being embarrassed by the moment, she handled it like a serious pro.
"Congrats guys," she cheekily captioned the censored video. Check out the moment below:
Accidents happen all the time, and Charli's wardrobe malfunction was likely unscripted. However, some fans are wondering if the moment was a piece of performance art in line with several other moves she's made while promoting her upcoming album Crash.
The singer has pulled off some brilliant stunts recently. On Instagram she posted a scribbled on version of the album cover, which pointed out several apparent references to the Illuminati.
"Makes u think," she captioned the wacky photo, which wouldn't have been out of place on a conspiracy theory-loving stan's Twitter account. Check it out below:
She also filmed a TikTok joking about how selling out to a major label was the best way to find mainstream success. A laughably low-impact dance routine (give us nothing, we love to see it!) was accompanied by tongue-in-cheek advice about how to make it as a pop star.
Even the music video for the LP's lead single "Good Ones" appeared to signify a new era in the rebellious singer's image. She posed on her tombstone and executed the sort of dance routines that are sorely missed in pop lately, both of which seemed to imply that she was going a new way.
So far the Crash era has been all about giving fans the unexpected, which makes this latest moment all the more interesting.
Was Charli XCX's wardrobe malfunction a genuine mistake or an expertly managed pop parody in line with the above-mentioned stunts? We can't say for sure. But either way she certainly handled it with the ease of a pop star at the top of her game.