How I'm Feeling Now

On 13 September 2019, Charli XCX released her third studio album, Charli. To celebrate the one month anniversary of Charli, Charli XCX announced that the album would not receive a deluxe edition and that she already had begun work on a new project.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/charli-xcx-reveals-shes-started-working-on-her-next-album|title=Charli XCX reveals she's started working on her next album|date=14 October 2020|access-date=8 April 2020|website=The Line of Best Fit|author=Cerys Kenneally|archive-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015015928/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/charli-xcx-reveals-shes-started-working-on-her-next-album|url-status=live}} Soon after, on 24 November 2019, Charli XCX announced on Twitter that she was planning to record two new albums in 2020, with plans to release both by 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/charli-xcx-reveals-she-wants-to-release-two-albums-in-2020|title=Charli XCX reveals she wants to release two albums in 2020|date=25 November 2020|access-date=8 April 2020|author=Cerys Kenneally|website=The Line of Best Fit|archive-date=15 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515085022/https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/charli-xcx-reveals-she-wants-to-release-two-albums-in-2020|url-status=live}} On 18 March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Charli XCX began a self-isolating livestream series featuring artists such as Diplo, Clairo and Rita Ora.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9337373/charli-xcx-livestream-series|title=Charli XCX Launches 'Self-Isolating' Livestream Series With Rita Ora, Diplo, Clairo and More Pals|magazine=Billboard|date=18 March 2020|access-date=8 April 2020|author=Gil Kaufman|archive-date=10 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200410220907/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9337373/charli-xcx-livestream-series|url-status=live}}

{{external media

| float = left

| width = 270px

| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDlubOmyZOs "how i'm feeling now" Announcement Zoom], via YouTube}}

On 3 April 2020, a PDF file containing album details was allegedly leaked on Reddit and LanaBoards.{{Cite web |title=Quarantine Album Announcement leak PW= Qs4!9x5LixZ4 |date=3 April 2020 |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/xcxheads/comments/fud1t6/quarantine_album_announcement_leak_pw_qs49x5lixz4/}}{{better source needed|date=February 2024}} It was initially perceived as a prank, but it gained validity when the file was the first hint of the album title, and Charli and Atlantic Records retweeted the image of the file after it was released by FckyeahCharli on Twitter.

On 6 April 2020, Charli XCX announced through a public Zoom call with fans that she would be working on a new album in self-isolation, with the tentative title How I'm Feeling Now.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9352433/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-self-isolation-album|title=Charli XCX Will Express 'How I'm Feeling Now' in Upcoming Self-Isolated Album|last=Aniftos|first=Rania|magazine=Billboard|date=6 April 2020|access-date=7 April 2020|archive-date=7 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407022548/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/9352433/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-self-isolation-album|url-status=live}} In the call, Charli XCX stated "The nature of this album is going to be very indicative of the times just because I'm only going to be able to use the tools I have at my fingertips to create all music, artwork, videos everything." The entire project would be collaborative with her fans, using Zoom calls to share demos and text conversations with producers and ask fan input on single releases, song ideas, and artwork.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-979219/|title=Charli XCX Announces 'DIY' Quarantine Album 'How I'm Feeling Now'|last=Shaffer|first=Claire|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=6 April 2020|access-date=7 April 2020|archive-date=7 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407000217/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-979219/|url-status=live}} She also said in the stream that A. G. Cook and BJ Burton were among the people she was working with.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDlubOmyZOs|title=Charli XCX - "How I'm Feeling Now" Announcement Zoom|website=YouTube|date=6 April 2020|access-date=7 April 2020|archive-date=15 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515085022/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDlubOmyZOs|url-status=live}} During the Zoom announcement, Charli XCX set a release date of 15 May 2020.

On 30 April 2020, Charli XCX announced on Twitter the song titles that were currently considered for the track list and that the yet unreleased fan-favorite "Party 4 U" would be on the album as well.{{Cite web|title=update: these are the song titles in the mix for the album: forever, claws, party4u, detonate, enemy, 7 years, anthem, pictures in my mind, pink diamond, i finally understand. there's also other tracks i still love that I haven't written over just yet....|url=https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1256027057148084230?s=20|last=Charli|date=30 April 2020|website=@charli_xcx|language=en|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=15 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515085022/https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1256027057148084230?s=20|url-status=live}} The full tracklist and album cover were revealed on 13 May 2020, prior to the album's release.

Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, she recorded the entire project inside her house, with the support of her friends and producers online. Lyrically, Charli referred to this album as her "most optimistic project to date," and she has asked fans to submit her beats and assist her with other projects. She has also indicated that she will be livestream her production process for anyone who wants to watch.{{Cite web |title=- YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDlubOmyZOs |access-date=2022-03-22 |website=www.youtube.com}} On 7 April, Charli stated that the album's tone and much of the lyrics will be about her relationship with her then-boyfriend Huck Kwong. On 13 May, Charli discussed the album on Instagram, expressing the gratitude to the couple of people for inspiration while creating her new work. An electronic pop, experimental pop{{Cite web|url=https://www.insider.com/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-tracklist-breakdown-2020-5|title=Charli XCX's 'How I'm Feeling Now' is a masterclass in experimental pop for the genre-less generation|first=Callie Ahlgrim, Courteney|last=Larocca|website=Insider}} and hyperpop album,{{cite web |last1=Pritchard |first1=Will |title=Hyperpop or overhyped? The rise of 2020's most maximal sound |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/hyperpop-genre-2020-charli-xcx-rina-sawayama-b1775025.html |website=The Independent |date=17 December 2020 |access-date=13 February 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/hyperpop-genre-2020-charli-xcx-rina-sawayama-b1775025.html|title=Charli XCX's 'How I'm Feeling Now' is a masterclass in experimental pop for the genre-less generation|first=Will|last=Pritchard|website=Independent|date=17 December 2020}} How I'm Feeling Now is a continuation of the signature sound Charli XCX has specialized in since the 2016 release of EP Vroom Vroom, in which she embraced the futuristic pop music of Sophie and other musicians related to the PC Music label,{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/charli-xcx-profile-how-im-feeling-right-now.html|title=Of Course Charli XCX Invented the Quarantine Album|access-date=17 May 2020|date=13 May 2020|first=Meaghan|last=Garvey|publisher=Vulture.com|archive-date=18 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518131626/https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/charli-xcx-profile-how-im-feeling-right-now.html|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/music/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-album-review-1234607364/|access-date=17 May 2020|date=14 May 2020|last=Aswad|first=Jem|work=Variety|title=Charli XCX's 'How I'm Feeling Now': Album Review|archive-date=16 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516191545/https://variety.com/2020/music/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-album-review-1234607364/|url-status=live}} a style that has been variously referred to as "bubblegum bass" and as the previously mentioned "hyper-pop".{{cite web|url=https://www.thebubble.org.uk/culture/music/bubblegum-bass-an-introduction-to/|title=Bubblegum Bass, an Introduction to|date=3 October 2014|access-date=17 May 2020|first=Lewis|last=Picard|publisher=The Bubble|archive-date=13 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170713130245/http://www.thebubble.org.uk/culture/music/bubblegum-bass-an-introduction-to/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://wrvu.org/bubblegum-bass-starter-pack/|title=Bubblegum Bass Starter Pack|access-date=17 May 2020|date=28 October 2019|publisher=WRVU|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710063429/http://wrvu.org/bubblegum-bass-starter-pack/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/47273/1/pc-music-a-g-cook-history-end-of-decade-2010s-retrospective|title=The history of PC Music, the most exhilarating record label of the 2010s|access-date=17 May 2020|date=20 December 2019|last=Bulut|first=Selim|work=Dazed|archive-date=29 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200429045941/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/47273/1/pc-music-a-g-cook-history-end-of-decade-2010s-retrospective|url-status=live}}{{cite book|last=Frankel|first=Emile|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UvSyDwAAQBAJ|date=25 October 2019|publisher=John Hunt Publishing|title=Hearing the Cloud: Can Music Help Reimagine The Future?|isbn=9781785358395|access-date=17 May 2020}} Kitty Empire of The Guardian described the album's music as "acrylic, outre, influencer club-pop," which "aggressively foregrounds its own artifice." Variety{{'}}s Jem Aswad characterised the production as "a shape-shifting mesh of shimmering synthesizers, driving bass, hard beats, swarms of voices and crashing mechanical sounds." Although it is characterised as a formal album, critics have noted that How I'm Feeling Now is closer in style to her 2017 mixtapes Number 1 Angel and Pop 2, as it is looser and more experimental than her self-titled album. Charli XCX herself has described the album as "Pop 2{{'}}s frantic emo younger sister."{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1262119820448808960|title=#howimfeelingnow is pop 2's frantic emo younger sister.|access-date=17 May 2020|date=17 May 2020|publisher=Charli XCX on Twitter|archive-date=17 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517204612/https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1262119820448808960|url-status=live}} Writing for Paste, Austin Jones felt: "Though the glitchy sound art and experimental edges of Pop 2 are missed, Charli deftly revives the techniques of the '90s Eurotrance scene that proved formative for her musical development."{{cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/charli-xcx/how-im-feeling-now-review/|title=Charli XCX Dances Proudly Into Vulnerable New Territory on how i'm feeling now|last=Jones|first=Austin|work=Paste|access-date=19 May 2020|date=19 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523125241/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/charli-xcx/how-im-feeling-now-review/|url-status=live}}

On 10 April, Charli uploaded additional song samples for the album dubbed "Claws", "Enemy", "7 Years", and "Detonate". She then asked through Twitter which of those four songs she should release, and announced that "Claws" won and will be released next week. The song was released on 23 April. On the same day, 10 April, she released a new episode of her radio show The Candy Shop in which she played two new demos, the first being "Breathe Out", and the other being an unnamed demo called "KM TM Demo" with production by Sega Bodega; the song is speculated to be called "Asleep". On 15 April, she uploaded a picture of different music plans, such as writing over a Palmistry beat (working title as "Where U At", ended up being "I Finally Understand"), a Sega Bodega beat, an A. G. Cook one, as well as a Dylan Brady and Nico one. Nömak was also on the list but erased out.{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

On 7 April 2020, Charli shared snippets of a song called "Forever" on social media. On 9 April 2020, she announced that "Forever" would be released as the lead single off the album at 11:30 PM PST and premiere on the BBC Radio 1 with Annie Mac podcast. The official artwork for "Forever" was created by American artist Seth Bogart. Two additional artworks were also released for "Forever", by French artist Regards Coupables and American singer-songwriter Caroline Polachek, respectively.{{Cite tweet |user=charli_xcx |number=1248287541306036225 |title=💓 FOREVER DROPS AT 7.30PM BST/11:30AM PST PREMIERING AS HOTTEST RECORD ON @ANNIEMAC ON @BBCR1!!!!! ARTWORK BY @SETHBOGARTOK!!! 2 MORE OFFICIAL ARTWORKS TO COME LATER IN THE DAY 💓 THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME CREATE THE FIRST SONG FROM "HOW I'M FEELING NOW" 💓 |date=9 April 2020 |access-date=9 April 2020}}{{Cite tweet |user=charli_xcx |number=1248043315951370240 |title=fyi i am making multiple official artworks for every song I release before the album, maybe even multiple album covers too. the "forever" artwork will be based of the photo we selected together and will be visually interpreted by @SethBogartOK @carolineplz and @regardscoupable 💓 |date=8 April 2020 |access-date=9 April 2020}} The official music video for "Forever", featuring clips sent in from fans, was released on 17 April 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charli-xcx-forever-video-986029/|title=Charli XCX's 'Forever' Video Is a Shining Document of Quarantine Life|last=Shaffer|first=Claire|publisher=Rolling Stone|date=17 April 2020|access-date=18 April 2020|archive-date=19 April 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200419204804/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charli-xcx-forever-video-986029/|url-status=live}} On 11 April 2020, she announced that she had chosen the next single, to be titled either "Claws" or "I Like".{{cite tweet|user=charli_xcx|number=1249066384278970368|title=i'm gonna release "i like/claws" next (haven't decided on a title yet) thanks for helping me decide Beating heart which photo should i base the artwork of off? 1, 2, 3 or 4???|date=11 April 2020|access-date=12 April 2020}} On 14 April 2020, she announced that she had settled on "Claws" as the song title.{{Cite tweet |author=Charli XCX |user=charli_xcx |number=1249864906666463232 |title=ok i'm calling it "claws" 🤍 |date=14 April 2020 |access date=14 April 2020}} The official music video for "Claws" was remotely directed and edited by Charlotte Rutherford, and featured Charli's then-boyfriend Huck Kwong. It premiered on 1 May 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charli-xcx-claws-music-video-993088/|title=Charli XCX Parties in Front of a Greenscreen in 'Claws' Music Video|last=Shaffer|first=Claire|publisher=Rolling Stone|date=1 May 2020|access-date=1 May 2020|archive-date=2 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200502090113/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/charli-xcx-claws-music-video-993088/|url-status=live}} On 2 May 2020, Charli unveiled that she would release a third single before the album release titled "I Finally Understand" the following week.{{Cite web |url=https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1256687584471736320 |title=Charli on Twitter: "i'm gonna drop a new song late next week..." |access-date=3 May 2020 |archive-date=9 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200509093956/https://twitter.com/charli_xcx/status/1256687584471736320 |url-status=live }} It premiered on 7 May 2020.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/05/07/listen-to-charli-xcxs-new-single-i-finally-understand|title=Listen to Charli XCX's new single "i finally understand"|website=The Fader|access-date=8 May 2020|archive-date=15 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515173559/https://www.thefader.com/2020/05/07/listen-to-charli-xcxs-new-single-i-finally-understand|url-status=live}} On the day of the album's release, "Enemy" was released as a promotional single from the album.{{Cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/album/1ILfGVgcglDDY9gq5wwzLL|title=enemy|via=open.spotify.com|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=10 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710023101/https://open.spotify.com/album/1ILfGVgcglDDY9gq5wwzLL|url-status=live}}

In February 2025, "Party 4 U" gained virality on TikTok and became the most streamed song off of the album on Spotify, surpassing "Claws".{{Cite web |last=Dunworth |first=Liberty |date=2025-02-20 |title=Charli XCX reacts as 'Party 4 U' goes viral again |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/charli-xcx-reacts-as-party-4-u-goes-viral-again-3839782 |access-date=2025-03-19 |website=NME |language=en-GB}} Following the virality, the song was officially sent to radio through Atlantic Records on 9 May 2025, making it the fourth single from the album.{{cite web |date=May 6, 2025 |title=A RECAP OF RADIO ADD RECAPS |url=https://www.hitsdailydouble.com/news/radio/radio-add-recaps-2025-05-06}}

In August 2021, Charli announced three special shows, branded the How I'm Feeling Now Tour. The singer visited Los Angeles on 27 September 2021, at The Masonic Lodge; New York City on 1 October 2021, at La Poisson Rouge; and her home of London on 24 October 2021, at Lafayette.{{cite web|title=Charli XCX announces special 'How I'm Feeling Now' live shows |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-live-shows-tickets-3015846 |website=NME |date=10 August 2021}}

{{Music ratings

| MC = 82/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/how-im-feeling-now/charli-xcx|title=How I'm Feeling Now by Charli XCX|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523153118/https://www.metacritic.com/music/how-im-feeling-now/charli-xcx|url-status=live}}

| ADM = 7.9/10{{cite web|url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/11403/Charli-XCX-how-im-feeling-now.aspx|title=How I'm Feeling Now by Charli XCX|publisher=AnyDecentMusic?|access-date=20 May 2020|archive-date=3 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603063640/http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/11403/Charli-XCX-how-im-feeling-now.aspx|url-status=live}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-im-feeling-now-mw0003376062|title=how i'm feeling now - Charli XCX|last=Phares|first=Heather|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=25 May 2020|archive-date=6 June 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606205041/https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-im-feeling-now-mw0003376062|url-status=live}}

| rev2 = Clash

| rev2score = 9/10{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now|title=Charli XCX - how i'm feeling now|last=Warrender|first=Megan|website=Clash|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=23 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200523033921/https://www.clashmusic.com/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now|url-status=live}}

| rev3 = Crack

| rev3score = 8/10{{cite web|url=https://crackmagazine.net/article/album-reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now/|title=Charli XCX - 'how i'm feeling now'|last=Ma|first=Nathan|website=Crack|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=6 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200706184710/https://crackmagazine.net/article/album-reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now/|url-status=live}}

| rev4 = The Daily Telegraph

| rev4score = {{rating|5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/charli-xcx-feeling-now-review-ultra-plastic-pop-becomes-cutting/|title=Charli XCX, how i'm feeling now, review: ultra-plastic pop becomes cutting-edge sonic art|last=McCormick|first=Neil|website=The Daily Telegraph|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=15 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200515235212/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/charli-xcx-feeling-now-review-ultra-plastic-pop-becomes-cutting/|url-status=live}}

| rev5 = DIY

| rev5score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://diymag.com/2020/05/15/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-album-review|title=Charli XCX - 'how i'm feeling now'|last=Watson|first=Elly|website=DIY|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=22 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522001338/https://diymag.com/2020/05/15/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-album-review|url-status=live}}

| rev6 = The Guardian

| rev6score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/16/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-show-and-tell-turned-up-to-11|title=Charli XCX: How I'm Feeling Now review – truly a work of its time|last=Empire|first=Kitty|website=The Guardian|date=16 May 2020|access-date=16 May 2020|archive-date=18 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518135604/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/may/16/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-show-and-tell-turned-up-to-11|url-status=live}}

| rev7 = The Independent

| rev7score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/charlie-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-album-review-lockdown-a9515111.html|title=Charli XCX review, How I'm Feeling Now: A brash, adventurous lockdown album|last=Pollard|first=Alexandra|website=The Independent|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=18 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518103729/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/charlie-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-album-review-lockdown-a9515111.html|url-status=live}}

| rev8 = NME

| rev8score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-lockdown-2668831|title=Charli XCX – 'How I'm Feeling Now' review: lockdown album is an anxiety-fuelled trip|last=Mylrea|first=Hannah|website=NME|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=16 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516191543/https://www.nme.com/reviews/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-lockdown-2668831|url-status=live}}

| rev9 = Pitchfork

| rev9score = 7.7/10{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now/|title=Charli XCX: how i'm feeling now Album Review|website=Pitchfork|last=Gaca|first=Anna|date=19 May 2020|access-date=19 May 2020|archive-date=25 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200525221109/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now/|url-status=live}}

| rev10 = The Times

| rev10score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.thetimes.com/culture/music/article/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-shes-my-lockdown-darling-d3q23lrsc|title=Charli XCX: How I'm Feeling Now review — she's my lockdown darling|last=Hodgkinson|first=Will|website=The Times|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=16 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516004608/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/times2/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-review-shes-my-lockdown-darling-d3q23lrsc|url-status=live}}

}}

How I'm Feeling Now received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an average score of 82, based on 16 reviews.

Neil McCormick gave the album a perfect 5-star rating in his review for The Daily Telegraph, opining that it "has a directness, immediacy and intimacy that has eluded her before," while The Fader{{'}}s Salvatore Maicki called it "indisputably cohesive and honest" in its exploration of emotional extremes.{{cite web|url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/05/15/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-new-album-review-claws-anthems-pink-diamond|title=Charli XCX's how i'm feeling now is a claustrophobic revelation|last=Maicki|first=Salvatore|website=The Fader|date=15 May 2020|access-date=15 May 2020|archive-date=22 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200522013113/http://www.thefader.com/2020/05/15/charli-xcx-how-im-feeling-now-new-album-review-claws-anthems-pink-diamond|url-status=live}} Hannah Mylrea of NME called it a "glorious, experimental collection" and praised Aitchison's "knack for a killer pop hook" despite the "crunching production." Similarly, Clash journalist Megan Warrender commended her "futuristic, unpredictable sound and penchant for an irresistible pop hook" as well as her display of "tenderness and vulnerability." Tom Hull gave the album a B-plus and said that recording at home due to quarantine "doesn't allow her the usual kitchen sink pop production, but she cranks the synths up loud enough it doesn't matter."{{cite web|last=Hull|first=Tom|author-link=Tom Hull (critic)|date=18 April 2020|url=http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/blog/archives/2847-Music-Week.html|title=Music Week|website=Tom Hull – on the Web|access-date=9 July 2020|archive-date=9 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709143711/http://www.tomhull.com/ocston/blog/archives/2847-Music-Week.html|url-status=live}}

Critics have linked the album title's and track listing's all-lowercase stylization to the collaborative and low-budget conditions that surrounded the album's creation, with Alex Szeptycki of The Arts Fuse noting that the typography contributed to a sense of the album's "DIY homeyness",{{Cite web |last=Szeptycki |first=Alex |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Pop Album Review: "how i'm feeling now" by Charli XCX — What Life is Like, Sheltering in Place |url=https://artsfuse.org/203956/pop-album-review-how-im-feeling-now-by-charli-xcx-what-life-is-like-sheltering-in-place/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026074420/https://artsfuse.org/203956/pop-album-review-how-im-feeling-now-by-charli-xcx-what-life-is-like-sheltering-in-place/ |archive-date=October 26, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |website=The Arts Fuse}} and Heather Phares of AllMusic writing that the use of lowercase "captures the frozen-in-time yet fleeting feel of quarantine life".{{Cite web |last=Phares |first=Heather |title=How I'm Feeling Now Review |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-im-feeling-now-mw0003376062#review |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606205041/https://www.allmusic.com/album/how-im-feeling-now-mw0003376062#review |archive-date=June 6, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |website=AllMusic}} Likening Charli XCX's use of lowercase to that of Ariana Grande, Lana Del Rey, and Taylor Swift, Kitty Grady of Vice calls lowercase type a "shorthand for authenticity and vulnerability" on the Internet that allows artists to "connect with and be authentic to their audiences".{{Cite web |last=Grady |first=Kitty |date=August 28, 2020 |title=The Rise of the 'Lowercase Girl' |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/internet-lowercase-spelling-taylor-swift-charli-xcx/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/GsTPc |archive-date=December 2, 2024 |access-date=December 2, 2024 |website=Vice}}

The album was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize in 2020, losing to Michael Kiwanuka's Kiwanuka.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-53497277|title=Mercury Prize 2020: Female artists lead nominations for the first time|last=Savage|first=Mark|date=23 July 2020|access-date=29 July 2020|publisher=BBC News}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-54284975|title=Michael Kiwanuka wins the 2020 Mercury Prize|last1=Savage|first1=Mark|date=September 24, 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=September 27, 2020}}

Retrospectively, in April 2022, Clash{{'}}s Ruby Carter characterized the album as a "relic of an era", a "masterpiece of vulnerability" and a "sign of the times".{{Cite web |last=Carter |first=Ruby |date=2022-04-15 |title=Charli XCX: Her 17 Best Songs |url=https://www.clashmusic.com/features/charli-xcx-her-17-best-songs |access-date=2022-04-16 |website=Clash Magazine |language=en}}

{{Track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| headline = How I'm Feeling Now track listing

| total_length = 37:00

| title1 = Pink Diamond

| writer1 = {{hlist|Charlotte Aitchison|Dijon Duenas|Alexander Guy Cook}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|Dijon|A. G. Cook}}

| length1 = 2:04

| title2 = Forever

| writer2 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Cook|BJ Burton}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|Burton|Cook}}

| length2 = 4:03

| title3 = Claws

| writer3 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Dylan Brady|Burton}}

| extra3 = Brady

| length3 = 2:29

| title4 = 7 Years

| writer4 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Cook|Burton}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|Cook|Burton}}

| length4 = 3:15

| title5 = Detonate

| writer5 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Cook}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|Cook|Burton{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length5 = 3:39

| title6 = Enemy

| writer6 = {{hlist|Aitchison||Burton|James Stack|Eli Teplin}}

| extra6 = Burton

| length6 = 3:43

| title7 = I Finally Understand

| writer7 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Benjamin Keating}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|Palmistry|Cook{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length7 = 2:31

| title8 = C2.0

| writer8 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Jaan Umru Rothenberg|Theron Thomas|Tomas Tammemets|Brady|Cook}}

| extra8 = Cook

| length8 = 3:40

| title9 = Party 4 U

| writer9 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Cook}}

| extra9 = Cook

| length9 = 4:56

| title10 = Anthems

| writer10 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Brady|Danny L Harle|The Angels (Charli's fans)}}

| extra10 = {{hlist|Brady|Harle|Burton{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| length10 = 2:51

| title11 = Visions

| writer11 = {{hlist|Aitchison|Cook|Burton}}

| extra11 = {{hlist|Cook|Burton}}

| length11 = 3:49

}}

Notes

• {{sup|{{note|a|[a]}}}} indicates an additional producer.
• "C2.0" incorporates lyrics from "Click" and contains vocals from Kim Petras.

Musicians

{{div col}}

• Charlotte Aitchison – all vocals
• A. G. Cook – drum programming {{small|(tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7–9, 11)}}, synthesizers {{small|(1, 2, 4, 5, 7–9, 11)}}, programming {{small|(2)}}, xylophone {{small|(2)}}, bass {{small|(7)}}, drums {{small|(7)}}, additional drum and synthesizer programming {{small|(7)}}, background vocals {{small|(9)}}
• Dijon Duenas – drum programming and synthesizers {{small|(1)}}
• BJ Burton – drum programming {{small|(2, 4, 6, 10, 11)}}, synthesizers {{small|(2, 4, 6, 10, 11)}}, Moog {{small|(5)}}, bass {{small|(6)}}, drums {{small|(6)}}
• Dylan Brady – bass {{small|(3)}}, drum programming {{small|(3, 8)}}, drums {{small|(3)}}, synthesizers {{small|(3)}}, softsynths {{small|(8)}}, harsh noise {{small|(8)}}
• Eli Teplin – keyboards {{small|(6)}}
• Jim-E Stack – Roland JV-1080 {{small|(6)}}
• Benjamin Keating – background vocals, bass, drum programming, drums, synthesizer {{small|(7)}}
• Kim Petras – additional vocals {{small|(8)}}
• Jaan Umru – bass, drum programming, synth sound design, "vibes" {{small|(8)}}

{{div col end}}

Technical

{{div col}}

• Charlotte Aitchison – executive production, recording {{small|(all tracks)}}, engineering {{small|(1, 2, 4–10)}}
• BJ Burton – executive production, engineering {{small|(3, 11)}}, vocal production {{small|(1, 3, 5, 6, 11)}}
• A. G. Cook – executive production, engineering {{small|(9)}}, vocal production {{small|(5, 7, 11)}}
• Stuart Hawkes – mastering
• Geoff Swan – mixing
• Niko Battistini – assistant mix engineering
• Dylan Brady – vocal production {{small|(3)}}
• Benjamin Keating – vocal production {{small|(7)}}
• Jaan Umru – vocal processing {{small|(8)}}

{{div col end}}

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website}}

{{Charli XCX}}

{{A. G. Cook}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2020 albums

Category:Charli XCX albums

Category:Cultural responses to the COVID-19 pandemic

Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the music industry

Category:Albums recorded in a home studio

Category:Albums produced by A. G. Cook

Category:Albums produced by BJ Burton

Category:Albums produced by Dylan Brady

Category:Albums about the COVID-19 pandemic

Category:Atlantic Records albums

Category:Asylum Records albums

Category:Hyperpop albums

Category:Albums impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic