Why Charli xcx Digging Up Boom Clap Hit So Hard

Lone microphone stand on a dark stage lit by a beam of purple spotlight

Charli xcx is not a nostalgia act. Her shows live firmly in whatever era she is in, with maybe one older song tucked into the night. That is exactly why her Saturday show at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on October 17 turned into one of the most shared moments of the weekend.

She played "Boom Clap," her 2014 breakthrough, which had not been performed live since 2023 according to setlist data cited by Variety. And she did not do it alone. Chappell Roan walked out to sing it with her.

The story behind the song choice

Charli explained it on stage. She plays an old song every night of the tour, and when she asked a friend to join her, the friend said the only way she would do it was if it was this one. That little anecdote is my favorite part. It turns a surprise cameo into something more human: one pop star asking another for the song she actually loved.

For a lot of people in that arena, "Boom Clap" was probably a teenage song. Hearing it again, sung by two artists who have become much bigger since, is the kind of moment that does more for goodwill than any new single.

A weekend full of guests

Saturday kept going. PinkPantheress came out for "Stateside," and the Dare, who produced "Guess," joined for an extended version while xcx-printed underwear was fired into the crowd, a cheeky nod to that song's video. On Sunday, rising singer Adela joined Charli for "Nicole Kidman."

The show itself

The set ran about an hour and forty minutes on a four-level pyramid stage. It opened with "Rock Music," a song declaring the dance floor is dead, which nobody in the building seemed to believe. "Card Declined" turned the stage into a runway, and the middle section leaned into fire, strobes and a club feel. The night ended on "No One Lasts Forever," with David Cronenberg's spoken outro on the screens, a strangely haunting finish for such a loud party.

Why it worked

Scarcity. Because Charli rarely looks back, one look back felt like an event. Pairing it with Chappell Roan, a week before Roan's own Los Angeles festival, made it even bigger. If you were in the building, you got a story to tell for years. If you were not, you probably watched the clip more than once.

For the full setlist and guest details, read Global Celebrity Meter's recap of Charli xcx and Chappell Roan's Boom Clap duet.

Photo: Vadim Koza / Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/photo/12267669/)

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