Charli XCX photo purchased by National Portrait Gallery

Charli XCX photo purchased by National Portrait GalleryImage source, Harley Weir / National Portrait GalleryImage caption, The portrait goes on display from todayByMark SavageMusic correspondentPublished1 minute agoA portrait of the pop star Charli XCX has been added to the National Portrait Gallery's collection, in the week where she's aiming for her second number one album of the year.The picture, which shows the singer leaning against a wall in a white crop top and unbuttoned black jeans, was taken in 2024 by British photographer Harley Weir.It became one of the key images in the promotion of her Brat album, matching the the music's debauched swagger and emotional candour.Announcing the acquisition, the National Portrait Gallery called Charli "one of the defining artists of our time".The photo will be displayed in the gallery's History Makers Now space, which celebrates figures who have shaped contemporary culture. The purchase was funded by a gift from the Bukhman Foundation.Praising the portrait, the gallery's senior curator, Brandei Estes, said: "Harley Weir has developed a distinctive photographic language that combines intimacy with a powerful sense of presence. "We are delighted to acquire this striking portrait of Charli XCX, which captures one of the defining cultural figures of her generation."Image source, Atlantic RecordsImage caption, The star has been making music since her teenage years, but achieved mainstream crossover with 2024's Brat albumCharli's eighth album, Music, Fashion, Film, was released on Friday, to largely positive reviews.Built around chopped-up guitar samples and acid-burned melodies, it finds the star dissecting her relationship to art and fame after Brat transformed her from cult favourite to mainstream star.The New York Times called it, external "proudly prickly [and] satisfyingly scuzzy", while DIY magazine described the 29-minute record, external as a "c...