The many sides of Charli XCX

Since the release of her critically acclaimed album in June AbruptCharli XCX has made performances that exude its titular ethos. While the term “brat” has always been somewhat indefinable, all you need to do to understand it is look at XCX – her messy, chic black hair; pursed lips; and huge sunglasses all embody the je ne sais quoi of someone who has been out all night partying. So I was curious in the run-up to her hosting gig this week Saturday Night Live: Would she even let her brat mask slip?

She did. Although the British pop star opened with a rather stilted, shit-focused monologue — “it’s an attitude; it’s a vibe,” she explained — she proved she was more than game to throw the aesthetic into sketches. Her performance showed a range, as those who largely know her Abrupt era may not know it yet: She can be awkwardly silly, and she can be a skilled impressionist.

Read: The legend of Charli XCX grows

In “Babymoon” — a follow-up to the viral sketch “Bridesmaid Speech” during Ariana Grande’s episode earlier this year — XCX fit right in with a chorus of female cast members as they sang a parody of Chappell Roan’s synth-pop song “Hot” to go!” Once again, the overall gag was that these BFFs had written a jokey song about how their friend Kelsey (Chloe Fineman) had cheated on her spouse with a man named Domingo (Marcello Hernandez) – only now she was pregnant and they sang at her baby shower. The charm of the recurring skit lies in its wildly inappropriate revelations, but the real joy of last night’s version was seeing XCX get in on the cheesy dance moves, and her limbs rigidly spelled out the words of the melody.

Later, XCX was an impressive mimic in “Wicked Auditions,” a parade of celebrity impressions apparently doing screen tests for the upcoming Evil film. XCX performed as Adele and spotted the Brit’s specific London accent, but also her penchant for cackling at her own jokes. Next, XCX took a cue from her friend and tourmate Troye Sivan, mimicking his Australian accent and affecting his laid-back posture. In a twist, she performed alongside Bowen Yang, who herself was in costume as XCX.

Meanwhile in “Here I Go,” a musical digital short film with Andy Samberg, XCX played an eerily happy, pearl-wearing housewife who, along with her husband, loved to call the cops on other white people. XCX cheerfully leaned into a Karen archetype, portraying her character’s surveillance tendencies with uncanny glee. And for “Banger Boyz,” a skit with a Joe Rogan-inspired podcast, XCX turned up her vocal chops to play the show’s producer — reading absurd ad copy for fake products like Zyn Junior, a nicotine pouch for kids. She accurately captured the performatively casual tone of these kinds of shows, while also setting herself apart from the bros room; her voice suggested she was along for the ride, but her eyes suggested she knew they were being ridiculous.

XCX’s versatility shouldn’t really come as a surprise. As she mentioned in her monologue, she started performing when she was a teenager and has pursued her career ever since, navigating the challenges of the music industry and the boxes it tried (sometimes unsuccessfully) to put her into. One of her first early hits was “Boom Clap” off The fault in our stars the soundtrack, which now seems un-abrupt with its teeny-bopper version of romance.

Abrupt exploded in part because it felt like the full expression of XCX’s ethos: a workhorse approach to songwriting alongside her 365-party-girl attitude to life. Her SNL episode hinted that she’s ready to apply that industriousness to her next act — in the movie world. She has appeared in a number of films, including I want your sexthe latest from queer provocateur Gregg Araki, and Sacrificefrom French director Romain Gavras, starring Chris Evans and Anya Taylor-Joy.

But of course, when XCX took the mic for musical performances of her songs “360” and “Sympathy Is a Knife,” she put the sunglasses back on. Stomping around the stage, she had the untouchable vibes of someone who truly embodies the cooler-than-thou energy that she creates.