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Charli XCX's 'Boys' video is a celeb-packed pin-up calendar that flips the male gaze on its head

Riz Ahmed, Stormzy, Joe Jonas, Diplo, Mark Ronson, Wiz Khalifa, Mac DeMarco, G-Eazy, and Will.I.Am all feature

Clarisse Loughrey
Thursday 27 July 2017 06:05 EDT
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For anyone tired of the usual array of girls in bikinis punting beach balls at each other, Charli XCX has the ultimate alternative.

Her video for new single 'Boys' is a pin-up calendar perfect for summer, filled to bursting with a line-up of famous dudes in full-on frolicking mode, complete with puppies, blow-up flamingoes, and a giant stack of pancakes.

Included within are cameos from the likes of Riz Ahmed, Diplo, Stormzy, Tom Daley, Joe Jonas, Wiz Khalifa, Mark Ronson, Ezra Koenig, Flume, Vance Joy, Mac DeMarco, Ty Dolla $ign, Charlie Puth, Kaytranada, Chromeo, Jack Antonoff, G-Eazy, and Will.I.Am.

"Obviously, the whole idea behind my video was to avert the male gaze," Charli XCX told Junkee. "All the guys are in this video because they have a sense of humour and because they understood the concept."

"I told them about the whole idea of averting male gaze and they were all really into it and reacted really positively to it," she added. "You can read into that deep or as little as you want, but obviously I made a conscious decision not to be in the video and to have all the guys doing the sexy things that girls are normally doing - which I think they enjoyed."

Her third studio album is expected to be released next year.

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