She is a megastar who shaped many fans’ 2024 summer.
And while this newlywed pop icon has now firmly forged her on-stage persona and look, her earlier look was clearly wholly different back in 2009.
Aged just 16, throwback footage shows the star – now 33 – performing in an extremely kooky getup she played to a modest numbered audience.
Clad in a raggy pink wig and black ensemble, the multi Grammy and Brit Award winner was recorded by an audience member on a camcorder.
The venue was a small tent on the sports fields of St Mary’s Catholic secondary School in Bishop’s Stortford – worlds away from the Glastonbury stage.
So who is this unrecognisable pop icon?
Huge popstar looks unrecognisable in unseen video performing at music festival 16 years ago – but who is it?
It’s Charli XCX!
In the clip shared on Facebook by journalist James Burton, she was seen prancing around the stage in the bizarre headwear.
An attached caption read: ‘I’ve dug around my old hard drives to unearth this footage of a 16-year-old Charli XCX performing at the Stortford Music Festival in 2009’.
Speaking to The Mirror about the moment, James said: ‘When I first saw her at the 2009 Bishop’s Stortford Festival, she bounded on in this bizarre, eye-catching outfit of striped stockings and a black leotard…
‘She had a neon green scarf and dyed pink hair with a giant plastic cake in it. Her set came early in the day, so she was performing to this small crowd with lots of older, and rather baffled, spectators…
‘But it was impressive how that didn’t stop her acting like she was headlining a massive festival, rather than a small community event in a school field’.
James revealed he followed her climb to the top of the music industry, after interviewing her for a local newspaper and going to an early gig.
He said of her success: ‘I think it’s great that she’s achieved her childhood dream and it was nice to see the start of that journey. She wasn’t big-headed at all. I hope she’s had fun chasing that dream and really wish her all the best. She’s been fantastic.’
It’s Charli XCX! The star proved to have humble beginnings prior to her award winning later fame (pictured earlier thsi week in Budapest)
In the clip shared on Facebook by journalist James Burton, she was seen prancing around the stage in the bizarre headwear
Charli is pictured in 2013 – four years after her kooky perfromance
Shortly before James shared the footage, Charli tied the knot
Shortly before James shared the footage, Charli tied the knot.
The stunner exchanged vows with The 1975 drummer at Hackney Town Hall on July 19, and are believed to be having a second wedding in Sicily later this summer.
Her stratospheric rise to fame has wowed fans and landed her a far way from Hertfordshire school fields.
She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene and signing a recording contract with Asylum Records in 2010 and releasing a series of singles and mixtapes in the early 2010.
Charli is pictured at the BRITs in 2020
The stunner has been on the rise for some time (pictured in 2019)
In 2012, she was featured on I Love It by Swedish duo Icona Pop, which became her first UK number-one and received global success. Her 2013 debut studio album, True Romance, was met with positive reviews but failed to meet commercial expectations.
Despite early failings, her sixth album Brat, released last year, has been her biggest success to date after repeatedly being named the album of the year.
The record spawned UK top-ten hit Apple and her remix album brought her second top ten hit, Guess featuring Billie Eilish.
Brat and its songs earned her eight Grammy Award nominations at the 67th annual ceremony, including Album of the Year, and three wins: Best Dance Pop Recording for Von Dutch, Best Dance/Electronic Album, and Best Recording Package.
