Charli XCX Walks Into the Abyss in Torso-Directed ‘SS26’ Video

A runway stretches into darkness, and Charli XCX walks it in a series of outfits that won’t save anything. The video for “SS26,” directed by Torso, is a literalization of the song’s refrain: “Spring Summer 26 / When the world is gonna end no hope for any of it / Yeah we’re walking on a runway that goes straight to hell.” Spotlights pick her out of the shadowy audience. She steps off into the void. Torso also directed the airport-themed clip for “Von Dutch” during the Brat era, so the visual language here feels like a direct continuation. No planes, no luggage, just a one-way trip.

She posted the lyrics on her Substack earlier this week, then teased the track with a video of the recording session in Paris. A.G. Cook and Finn Keane are there, the room is low-lit, and someone orders Japanese whiskey, a bottle of Sancerre, and a bucket of ice. Charli sings into the mic while the rest of it happens around her. The production details are sparse but the mood is clear.

“SS26” lands right after “Rock Music,” a single that split opinion with its line about the dance floor being dead. The backlash was loud enough that she addressed it in a behind-the-scenes clip, saying, “I’m not gonna explain where I was coming from with ‘Rock Music,’ but all I know is that things can be funny, earnest, sincere, and joyful all at the same time.” She’s since doubled down on Twitter, writing that she isn’t trying to repel or convince anyone. “If you get me, you get me. And if you don’t, you don’t. And that’s ok <3" Her B-side "I Keep on Thinking Bout You Every Single Day and Night" only exists on vinyl and Instagram. Those choices aren't trying to make sense to everyone.