Lizzo “Truth Hurts” entering its fourth week in the No. 1 position

The Pop 2 playbook is at the heart of Charli, proving Charlotte Aitchison knows a good groove when she finds it, and this record scales the same club-drug heights and similar introspective, self-doubting lows as her spontaneous end-of-2017 mixtape, all set to the glitchy-gloss of A.G. Cook production that works so well with her blunt, prancing lyrical style. “Next Level Charli” is the kind of album opener that pop fans dream about, a self-fulfilling prophecy stuffed with swagger and tongue-in-cheek one-liners like “turn the volume up in your Prius” (with “party” and “bedroom” subbed in before and after) that runs a touch too fast, a priming technique that makes the rest of the album flow even more freely. On the album’s second track, “Gone” featuring Christine And The Queens, she lets loose like she’s alone in a Prius with a friend: “I feel so unstable / F*cking hate these people / How they’re making me feel lately / They making me weird, baby.” Of course, if any of the people in question hear you speak about them in this way, there’s immediate backlash. Still, there’s something endearing in voicing this kind of anti-social frustration via pop anthem, and it doubles here as a summation of Charli’s whole take on the music industry, or just a cry of exasperation that many women working in this field can relate to. -- Caitlin White, UPROXX Pop Critic on the best parts of Charli XCX’s long-awaited new album NUMBER ONE STUNNERS Why yes, our girl Lizzo is reigning over the charts again, with “Truth Hurts” entering its fourth week in the No. 1 position. In the process, Lizzo has broken the record for the longest-running solo rap single in the No. 1 slot by a woman, smashing Cardi’s three-week-stint with “Bodak Yellow” that was set in 2017. She reacted to the news with an emotional caption on a throwback photo of nine-year-old Lizzo. Yes, DNA testing results show she has been 100% that b*tch from a very young age. BUBBLING UNDER Though she’s been working as an artist since the tender age of 14, R&B’s latest, swaggering voice Mahalia released her debut album, Love And Compromise, at the beginning of September. The UK artist worked with the likes of Ella Mai, Sounwave, Burna Boy, and DJ Dahi on the project, spinning soulful production into contemporary, confident anthems full of demands for respect. It might take a few more months for Mahalia to break in the US, but get ahead of the curve and start studying up on her now, she’s destined for big things. REMEMBER WHEN Guess who celebrates a birthday later this week? The Canadian darling, “Complicated” pop singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne, is turning 35 this year, celebrating that milestone on September 27, so watch social media for any star-studded bash photos. Though she’s no longer a twenty-something pining over a “Sk8er Boi,” she’s still putting out new music, releasing the full-length Head Above Water earlier this year. And even if you’re not into what Avril’s been doing lately, we’ll always have “Complicated.” Uh-huh, life’s like this. It’s just the way it is. LOVE LETTERS As if Lana Del Rey and Ariana Grande hadn’t given us enough riches by putting out the first and second-best albums of the year before the leaves even started to turn, they’re back with another massive single — and this one is a collab. “Don’t Call Me Angel” is a movie song for the new reboot of Charlie’s Angels  and sees these two divas inviting Miley Cyrus in for a verse of her own, too. And while the song registers most clearly as an Ariana song, full of heel turns and astonishing vocal runs, it’s Lana’s psychedelic, dreamy verse that elevates this from another run-of-the-mill pop star collab to something truly, well, angelic.  Warner Music Group 1633 Broadway New York, NY 10019 USA