Ranking the collaborations on Charli XCX's new mixtape Pop 2

"Lucky" doen't feature any surprise guests, and it feels more like an interlude than a track of its own, despite clocking in at well over the three minute mark. With almost Bon Iver-esque vocoder use in places, it's a pleasantly pillowy synthesised soundscape, even if it lacks much in the way of direction. There's almost a chorus, but it's not the punchy powerhouse we've come to expect from Miss XCX. PW

Dorian Electra and Mykki Blanco feature on the appropriately autotuned "Femmebot". It’s got a bashy, Eurotrashy beat, but while Blanco’s verse is phenomenally supercharged, it’s hard to distinguish Electra’s vocals from Charli’s. This is the track’s major disappointment - after all, what’s the point in a feature you could have done yourself? There’s also the question of Charli describing herself as a “femme”, a term mainly used (in English, at least) to refer to a feminine queer person, which might be a little dodge considering her courting of LGBT+ audiences whilst assuring us she is, in fact, straight. PW

We all love a bit of Carly Rae, and opening with the E•MO•TION sweetheart is a classic bold Charli move (who else would be that confident in not being overshadowed?). “Backseat” bangs, for sure, but we do kinda lose Carly in the electronic melee. The reason we love her solo stuff is its commitment to pure, unadulterated joy, and “Backseat” doesn’t quite deliver on that same heady rush. That said, the power of these two pop princesses uniting on a single track is undeniable, and the presence of those '80s synths - we can only assume they follow Carly Rae wherever she goes - is more than welcome. PW

"Out Of My Head" features the holy trifecta of XCX, ALMA, and Tove Lo - has a greater trio ever been assembled on one song? Each one takes the song and runs into oblivion with it without stealing the limelight; it's a tricky tightrope to walk but they manage it with aplomb, weaving their respective voices and personalities into one big bittersweet sad banger. Now we've got this one ticked off the wishlist, we just need to see them take it to the stage. LD

The two guests on this jewel aren't the most mainstream stars on the tape, but German pop upstart Kim Petras and rapper Jay Park (the first Asian-American to sign with Roc Nation) knock it outta the park (alongside Charli, obvs). A.G. Cook's "Beautiful" is sampled on the cut, which is simultaeneously super smooth and absurdly jittery - it's a maximalist masterpiece with countless layers, beats, and melodies all serpentining towards a common goal. They might stick out a bit, but Petras and Park's contributions merely heighten this sensation of absolute massiveness that builds and builds and builds until the final beat. It's wonderfully exhausting. LD

Writers: Pip Williams and Larry Day.

Pop 2 is out now via Atlantic. You can buy it on iTunes.