Charli XCX: Lorde kills it

Charli XCX thinks people are "afraid" of what's different.

The 22-year-old musician is the brain behind hit tracks such as Icona Pop's I Love It and Iggy Azalea's Fancy, both of which she co-wrote. She has also found fame with her solo music and is gearing up to release her third album, Sucker.

Despite this success Charli has found herself caught up in criticism towards her talents and cites another female singer as an example of someone whose work is doubted.

"There's always a catch. Like: 'Does she really do that? I heard her mom wrote that song.' I read that about Lorde. I'm like: As if!" she bemoaned to Complex magazine. "Just because she's young and successful, why is someone trying to take that away from her? It's because she's highly intelligent and a female who's killing it. She's doing something different, and people are afraid of that."

"Just 'cause we all have vaginas doesn't mean that we all play against each other. We're all doing our own thing," she added when asked if there's any competition.

Charli - real name Charlotte Emma Aitchison - oozes confidence while performing and is known for rocking bold ensembles while on stage. But it isn't always the case that she is comfortable in front of an audience and admits to finding it overwhelming sometimes with the attention surrounding her.

"There are days where I can go into a room full of people, talk to every single person, and feel completely at ease, and feel like making every single person laugh, and feel like everyone's having a great time," she explained. "There are other times where I go into a room of people and I literally want to run and hide. I want to lock myself in the bathroom and cry, which I've done. It's not because anyone's saying anything horrible to me. It's just... people are asking me questions - not even asking me questions about Charli XCX."