Charli XCX joins Nothing, promotes 'Rock Music'

Charli XCX added a consumer-tech role to a week already crowded with new music and festival news. Nothing said on May 13 that the singer had joined the company as its first global brand ambassador and as a shareholder, tying her to a campaign for its Headphone (a) product. The announcement landed days after Charli released “Rock Music,” and as festival organizers in Chicago rolled out the day-by-day schedule for Lollapalooza 2026. Nothing’s campaign says the partnership is built around “music and machines for a new generation,” while Charli has been promoting new visuals and behind-the-scenes footage for her latest single. ### Why is Charli XCX showing up in a Nothing campaign now? Nothing said on May 13 that Charli had become its “first Global Brand Ambassador and latest Shareholder,” making the relationship more than a one-off endorsement. The company’s campaign page says the collaboration launches with material shot in London by Aidan Zamiri and centered on Headphone (a). The campaign’s main product claim is battery life. (lv.nothing.tech) Nothing says it put Charli “in a room for five days” to test Headphone (a), and that the headphones “lasted the whole time.” The company presents the partnership as part of a broader push to connect its hardware brand with music and creative culture. ### What did Charli XCX actually release this week? Stereogum reported on May 8 that Charli had released “Rock Music” with a video directed by Aidan Zamiri. (lv.nothing.tech) The outlet said the single followed earlier teasing around whether her next phase would actually be “rock,” and noted appearances in the video by George Daniel, Finn Keane and A.G. Cook. Rolling Stone reported on May 13 that Charli also shared a behind-the-scenes look at the “Rock Music” video. The publication said the footage showed the shoot in New York and quoted Charli saying she was “not gonna explain” where she was coming from with the song, even as she acknowledged the reaction it had drawn online. (stereogum.com) ### What has Charli said about the meaning of “Rock Music”? Rolling Stone quoted Charli saying she would not spell out the song’s intent in interviews or posts. In the Instagram comments cited by the magazine, she said she was “not gonna explain” the thinking behind “rock music,” while adding that things can be “funny, earnest, sincere, and joyful” at the same time. (rollingstone.com) Stereogum framed the track as a deliberate genre provocation rather than a straight stylistic pivot. That characterization belongs to the outlet, not to Charli directly, but it matches the ambiguity Charli herself highlighted in the remarks quoted by Rolling Stone and in earlier teaser language cited by Stereogum. (rollingstone.com) ### Where does Lollapalooza fit into this week’s news? Lollapalooza’s official site says the 2026 festival will run in Chicago’s Grant Park from July 30 through Aug. 2. The site says the schedule is now out and that four-day tickets are on a waitlist, while limited one-day tickets remain on sale. NBC Chicago reported on May 12 that the day-by-day schedule places Lorde and John Summit on the first day, followed by Charli XCX and the Smashing Pumpkins, with Olivia Dean and Jennie on Saturday and Tate McRae, the Chainsmokers and the xx closing out the festival slate. (rollingstone.com) That schedule update put Charli’s name in another current release cycle alongside Lorde and Tate McRae. (lollapalooza.com) ### What happens next? Lollapalooza is set for July 30 to Aug. 2 at Grant Park in Chicago, according to the festival’s official site. The event says four-day passes are waitlisted and one-day general admission tickets start at $185, while Charli remains on the published 2026 lineup as Nothing continues running the Headphone (a) campaign on its site. (lollapalooza.com) (nbcchicago.com)