Charli XCX Threw a ‘Party 4 u’ to Analyze

Jay Gatsby and Charli XCX have something in common. Gatsby would throw extravagant parties, hoping that Daisy Buchanan would show up; Charli would throw ragers, hoping poppers would show up, hoping her muse would come to her, like in her 2020 song “Party 4 u,” which regained popularity after her Coachella headline set. TikTok has turned into a high school English class where everyone is trying to dissect the lyrics to “Party 4 u,” finding examples from pop culture that evoke that heartbreaking feeling of putting yourself out there to be met with failure. Or in pop terms: Like when Hannah realizes that Jessa and Adam hooked up in Girls. Or when Fleabag realizes she’s met her match with the Hot Priest in Fleabag. Or even worse: when Hae Sung and Nora realize that this isn’t the lifetime where they will be together in Past Lives. Yeah, this whole trend is stuffed to the brim with the anxiety that comes from yearning too hard.

Charli herself is loving all the interpretations of her song, compiling some of her favorite videos on Instagram. She added, “glad we’re all emo af. love all these takes. don’t want them to end.” It’s easy to romantize yearning and heartbreak when you’re in love.