Charli XCX gets honest about feeling like an ‘outsider’ growing up

Despite finding it hard to get along with her identity as a mixed-race person, Charli XCX admitted she can get the benefits from her mixed heritage.

In a recent chat on Nicky Reardon’s Nicky At Night podcast, the Brat hitmaker opened up about growing up with a Scottish father and an Indian mother.

Charli, whose real name is Charlotte Emma Aitchison, mentioned her heritage in her new single “SS26”, prompting the podcast host to ask about it.

The singer, who sings, “And my heritage could give me quite the USP,” replied, “I feel like there is this world where I could really play that up a lot. It doesn’t come natural to me probably because of the way that I engage with being a mixed person.”

“I didn’t really feel like I belonged in either side of my family,” Charli continued, adding she felt like an outsider both time whenever she used to hang out with her Indian side of her family and spend time with “white girls” at school.

“So it’s difficult to place yourself and to understand your identity,” she noted.

Charli added, “And a lot of my friends who are mixed also feel that same way. It’s hard to feel like you can really claim something. But I am really happy to talk about that.”

Charli is all set to release her new album Music, Fashion and Film on July 24.