Charli XCX debuted the grindhouse-inspired “just a few girls partying in a gun factory” video for her Gold Panda-sampling single “You (Ha Ha Ha)” yesterday (January 10), but today the Best New Artist-approved Brit apologized for the fun-loving firearm imagery.
Since a music video explicitly focused on how sexily dangerous guns can be isn’t the most sensitive message in the wake of December’s tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, Charli shared a hand-written letter addressed to fans (via Twitter):
Thanks to everyone who’s heard the song and + watched my new video for “You (Ha Ha Ha),” which samples the amazing Gold Panda. Myself, my friends + the director, Ryan Andrews shot the video in October, so I’ve been waiting for a while to put it out, + now it’s out there.
I’m so happy + excited + I’m glad you guys are loving it. The video pays homage to the grindhouse genre as well as some of my favorite movie characters. I wanted to create a kick ass girl power setting for my own grindhouse pop video, with cats, colour + lipstick.
The idea is to make lipstick, not war, but I’d like to say sorry if anyone has mistaken this video for advocating violence. I’m swapping bullets for lipstick + firing out shots of love with my kick ass girl gang from outerspace! Remember u can pre-order the song now + download on Feb. 10th XCX
Charli name-checked the video’s influences when it originally debuted on Pitchfork, saying in a statement, “We’d been watching a lot of grindhouse movies, mostly with strong female leads like The Pom Pom Girls and Coffy, and there seemed to be a bizarre cross over from that genre of cinema and today’s world of pop… Cute!”
“Cute?” Not exactly.
