Charli XCX calls The Velvet Underground & Nico 'the apex of fine art'

Charli XCX has shared her admiration for The Velvet Underground's 1967 album 'The Velvet Underground & Nico' during her acceptance speech at Variety's Hitmakers Awards.

Speaking as she collected the Hitmaker of the Year prize, Charli discussed the album's commercial performance and cultural impact. "In March 1967, The Velvet Underground released their album 'The Velvet Underground And Nico'," she said. "It debuted on the Billboard 200 at Number 199. And a few weeks later, it rose to its peak position of 195. But don't worry, it dropped out, and then it re-entered the charts. And later in life, Lou Reed told Brian Eno that it had only sold around 30,000 copies over its first five years."

She continued: "In my humble opinion, this record is the definition of a hit. This record is arguably one of the most influential and groundbreaking records of our time. This album is the apex of fine art and DIY culture colliding. It's high and low, it's poetry meets drugs, it's earnest meets arrogance, and even if you're never heard a single song from this album, you'll undoubtedly recognize its cover, either from the walls of a modern art gallery or from the shop floor of an Urban Outfitters."

"And let's be real, what is a hit if you're not conquering both of those places?" she added. "My album cover has not yet appeared at the Guggenheim or the Whitney or the Tate. However, some of my merch is available to purchase right now in Urban Outfitters. So I guess that means that I'm halfway there. So thank you very much, Variety."

Charli is set to perform at multiple festivals in 2025, including headline slots at Parklife and LIDO Festival in London, where she will also curate the day's lineup. She will also appear at Coachella and Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Porto.

The dates in full read:

APRIL15 Coachella Festival, California, US22 Coachella Festival, California, US

MAY29 Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain

JUNE1 Primavera Sound, Porto, Portugal8 Parklife Festival, Manchester, UK15 LIDO Festival, London, UK