Charli XCX has a habit of rewriting her own history. Honestly, if you look at the trajectory of her career, it’s less of a straight line and more of a chaotic, neon-drenched spiral. At the center of that spiral sits a song that defines her weird, wonderful tug-of-war between the mainstream and the avant-garde. We’re talking about Blame It on Your Love. Released in May 2019, this track wasn’t just another single; it was a pivot point. It was the moment Charli tried to bridge the gap between the "Boom Clap" era that made her a household name and the glitchy, metallic PC Music world she had been building in the underground.
But here is the thing.
The song wasn't actually new. Most fans already knew it as "Track 10," the emotional, distorted finale of her 2017 mixtape Pop 2. Converting that experimental masterpiece into a radio-ready banger featuring Lizzo was a move that divided the fanbase. Some saw it as a sell-out. Others saw it as a stroke of genius. It’s a fascinating case study in how production can completely change the DNA of a melody.
The Long Road from Track 10 to Blame It on Your Love
Pop music is usually about the "new." Labels want fresh hooks, fresh beats, and fresh faces. Charli XCX doesn't really care about that. She sat on the melody for Blame It on Your Love for years.
If you go back to the Pop 2 era, "Track 10" was this sprawling, five-minute epic. It was messy. It was loud. It sounded like a computer having a panic attack in the best way possible. A.G. Cook, the mastermind behind the PC Music label and Charli’s long-time executive producer, took a simple pop hook and buried it under layers of auto-tune and industrial percussion. It was a cult classic immediately.
Then came the "official" version.
By the time Blame It on Your Love dropped as the lead single for her self-titled album Charli, the rough edges had been sanded down. Stargate, the production duo responsible for massive hits by Rihanna and Katy Perry, stepped in. They turned that glitchy skeleton into a bouncy, tropical-infused pop anthem.
The contrast is jarring. Where "Track 10" feels like a late-night breakdown in a warehouse, Blame It on Your Love feels like a sunny drive with the windows down. It’s the same song, but the soul shifted. It’s like seeing a charcoal sketch suddenly rendered in high-definition Technicolor.
Why the Lizzo Feature Actually Mattered
In 2019, Lizzo was everywhere. She was the "it" girl of the moment, riding the wave of "Truth Hurts" and "Good as Hell." Bringing her onto a Charli XCX track was a massive power move. It signaled that Charli wasn't just staying in her lane of "hyperpop"—a term she’s had a complicated relationship with anyway.
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Lizzo’s verse adds a layer of confidence that the original version lacked. While Charli sings about being a "disaster" and blaming her poor choices on the intensity of her feelings, Lizzo swoops in to remind everyone that she’s still a "bad b*tch." It’s a dynamic that works surprisingly well. It grounds Charli’s more ethereal, floaty vocals with something punchy and rhythmic.
The Production Conflict: Pop vs. Experimental
Let’s get into the weeds of the sound for a second.
The 2019 version utilizes a very specific "tropical house" percussion style that was dominant in the late 2010s. You know the sound—that rhythmic, wooden-sounding snare and the bright synth plucks. For some critics, this felt a little dated even when it was released. They argued that by stripping away the "Track 10" weirdness, Charli lost what made the song special.
However, looking back from 2026, that critique feels a bit shortsighted.
Blame It on Your Love was a necessary bridge. You can't get to the mainstream acceptance of albums like BRAT without first proving you can play the pop game. Charli was essentially Trojan-horsing her experimental sensibilities into the charts. She took a melody that was born in the "PC Music" labs and proved it could function as a standard pop song. It’s a testament to her songwriting. A good song is a good song, whether it’s covered in static or polished to a mirror shine.
Understanding the Lyrics: The Psychology of Self-Sabotage
The lyrics of Blame It on Your Love are actually pretty dark if you stop dancing for a second. It’s a song about being a "fuck-up."
"I'm a million mistakes / I'm a lot of cold nights"
Charli is describing a cycle of self-sabotage in relationships. She’s admitting that she pushes people away and makes things difficult, but she uses "love" as the ultimate scapegoat. It’s a relatable sentiment. Who hasn't blamed their own chaotic behavior on the fact that they're "too in love" or "too emotional"?
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By pairing these heavy, slightly self-loathing lyrics with such an upbeat instrumental, Charli creates a sense of cognitive dissonance. It’s "sad-banger" territory—a genre she practically pioneered alongside artists like Robyn. You’re crying, but you’re also doing choreography in the club.
The Cultural Impact and the "Hyperpop" Label
People often credit Charli with "inventing" hyperpop. While that’s an oversimplification—artists like SOPHIE and A.G. Cook were the architects—Charli was the one who gave it a face.
Blame It on Your Love served as a gateway drug.
For many casual listeners, this was their first introduction to the world of Charli XCX beyond her 2014 radio hits. It was accessible enough not to scare people away, but just "off" enough to make them curious about what else she was doing. If you liked the hook, you might go looking for the album. Then you’d find songs like "Next Level Charli" or "Click," which are much more aggressive.
It was a brilliant marketing strategy, even if it wasn't intended to be one.
A Quick Look at the Numbers (No Tables Needed)
The song performed reasonably well on the charts, hitting the Top 40 in the UK and garnering hundreds of millions of streams on Spotify. But its real value wasn't in the Billboard peaks. Its value was in the narrative it built for the Charli album. It set the stage for a project that was half-pop, half-future.
The music video, shot in Iceland, also added to the mythos. It featured otherworldly "creatures" falling in love, further leaning into the idea that Charli’s music is for the outsiders and the "aliens" of the pop world. It wasn't about being pretty or perfect; it was about the raw, sometimes ugly reality of human connection.
Common Misconceptions About the Song
A lot of people think Lizzo was added at the last minute to "save" the song for radio. That's not really supported by how Charli works. She’s incredibly collaborative. In interviews around the album's release, Charli mentioned that she always envisioned the "Blame It on Your Love" version as the "real" version of the song, while "Track 10" was more of a remix that happened to come out first.
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It’s an inverted release schedule.
Another misconception is that A.G. Cook wasn't involved in the 2019 version. While Stargate took the lead on production, A.G. is still credited. His DNA is still in the track, particularly in the vocal processing. He just turned the "weirdness" dial down from a 10 to a 3.
How to Appreciate the Song Today
If you want to truly understand Blame It on Your Love, you have to listen to it in context with its predecessor.
- Listen to "Track 10" first. Put on some good headphones. Feel the distortion. Notice how the melody struggles to break through the noise. It feels private and intense.
- Immediately switch to "Blame It on Your Love." Notice how the room seems to brighten. The melody is finally free. It’s celebratory.
- Watch the live versions. Charli often blends the two versions during her sets. She starts with the pop beat and ends with the heavy, industrial breakdown of the original.
This reveals the truth of the song: it’s a shapeshifter. It doesn't have a "correct" form. It exists in the space between the underground and the penthouse.
Actionable Steps for Pop Fans and Creators
If you’re a songwriter or just someone who loves the mechanics of pop music, there are a few things you can take away from the history of this track.
First, never throw away a good hook. If a melody is strong, it can survive a dozen different genres. Don't be afraid to reimagine your own work. Charli proved that "recycling" isn't a lack of creativity; it’s an exploration of potential.
Second, embrace the collaboration. The Lizzo feature worked because it brought a different energy, not because it was "needed" for clout. When you collaborate, look for someone who balances your vibe rather than just mimicking it.
Finally, understand your audience. Charli knew her hardcore fans would always prefer "Track 10," and she gave that to them first. By the time the radio version came out, the "cool" points were already secured. You can satisfy the niche and the masses simultaneously, but you have to be tactical about it.
Blame It on Your Love remains a cornerstone of the Charli XCX discography precisely because it’s so polarizing. It’s the sound of an artist refusing to be one thing. Whether you prefer the glitch or the gloss, you can’t deny that the song is a masterclass in pop songwriting. It’s messy, it’s emotional, and it’s undeniably Charli.
For those looking to dive deeper into the world of Charli's production, your next move should be exploring the Pop 2 mixtape in its entirety. It provides the necessary blueprint for everything she’s done since. Once you hear how she deconstructs pop music there, you'll never hear a "radio hit" the same way again. Pay close attention to the transitions between tracks—that's where the real magic happens.