party 4 u

party 4 u” is a song by English artist Charli XCX, released in 2020 on her fourth studio album How I’m Feeling Now. The track was written by Charli XCX and A. G. Cook, with Cook also handling production.

Although it appeared on the album in 2020, parts of the song were originally written and recorded in 2017, during sessions connected to Charli’s “Pop 2″ era. For several years, the song circulated among fans through live performances and unreleased snippets before being completed during the remote, lockdown-era creation of How I’m Feeling Now.

Musically, “party 4 u” blends pop, hyper pop, and electropop, built around synthesisers, heavily processed vocals, and a slow-burn structure that builds toward a repetitive, glitch-leaning outro. The final section of the song includes crowd noise sampled from Charli XCX’s 2019 Brixton Academy concert.

Lyrically, the song describes organising an elaborate party for a specific person who ultimately does not show up, contrasting celebratory imagery with themes of longing, anticipation, and emotional disappointment.

While initially a fan-favourite album track, “party 4 u” gained renewed attention in 2025 after going viral on TikTok, leading to increased streaming numbers and its release as an official single. The song’s delayed success highlighted its lasting popularity and solidified it as one of the most recognisable tracks from How I’m Feeling Now.

“party 4 u” is certified Gold in New Zealand and the UK, and Platinum in Canada.

*All information accurate at the time of publishing (January 2026).