Charli XCX switched science for singing

Charli XCX decided to give music a go after getting bored of home chemistry sets.

The 22-year-old singer has set charts around the world alight with her track Boom Clap and was also behind Icona Pop's hit I Love It. She began writing songs when she was 14, with her debut offering about going on a date to a fish and chip shop.

"I just wanted to do something. The only thing prior to that, that I'd done and really enjoyed, was home chemistry sets. And I'd kind of outgrown them," she told cosmopolitan.com. "It was getting to the point of, if you want to do chemistry, you've got to actually do it and be really good at it. And I was like, 'Eh, pass. Maybe I'll just try music.'"

Charli's musical tastes are unashamedly pop. One of her favourite artists is Britney Spears, although many people can't believe she is such a fan of the American songstress. Charli views the star's work as "intelligent" and is in awe of how she "crafts" her tracks, insisting people just need to listen to them properly.

The British star has no problem being open about her tastes - even if they cause her to be ridiculed by others. It's not always been that way though, and it took Charli a long time to differentiate being self-assured from being nasty.

"It was just kind of growing up, you know?" she explained, of what made her stop worrying about others' opinions. "And realising as well that when I was younger, I think I got intimidated by the cool people. I associated coolness with being mean to people. Especially in high school, the cool kids are the mean kids. I just began to realise, I didn't really have time to live my life like that. I tried it, to be cool for a day. It's so f**king tiring, oh my god."