Topic Guide
What Is Synesthesia?
Synesthesia is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Synesthesia
Synesthesia
A neurological phenomenon where stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. Charli XCX experiences it as seeing music and sounds in specific colors, which she uses to communicate her desired sound design to producers (33:42, 34:43).
Daring to suck
Charli XCX's creative philosophy emphasizing the importance of allowing oneself to produce seemingly "stupid" or unrefined ideas without immediate judgment. She believes this approach fosters spontaneity and can lead to "universal genius" and unique outcomes (42:53).
High-low connectivity in art
A creative approach championed by Charli XCX that explores the blend of 'high art' concepts with 'lowbrow' or accessible elements. This mentality, which she likens to Andy Warhol's "paint the soup" philosophy, informs her willingness to take risks and challenge conventional artistic boundaries (43:54).
What Experts Say About Synesthesia
- 1.Charli XCX describes her early career as a "strange career" where she was often the writer or feature on big hits but remained "completely anonymous," a phase she found "very useful" for preparing her for wider audiences later (27:35).
- 2.Her songwriting philosophy emphasizes spontaneity and "daring to suck," believing that the "first idea is often just way more unique" than overthought concepts, even when it feels "stupid" (38:50, 39:51, 42:53).
- 3.She possesses synesthesia, where she perceives music and sounds in colors, using terms like "make this sound more blue or more purple" to guide producers in creating specific sound designs (33:42, 34:43).
- 4.Charli XCX has recently shifted her songwriting from phonetic, melody-first creation to a more lyric-driven approach, aiming for direct, unrhymed dialogue that mirrors how she would text a friend (35:45, 36:47).
- 5.Her biggest shock upon entering the music industry was realizing "how no one really knows what they're doing" at the executive level, challenging her initial perception of it as a tightly run ship (47:20).
- 6.Following the success of her album "Brat," she is pivoting into acting and producing, guided by the motto "what would Chloë Sevigny do?" to inspire drastic, unconventional career moves (50:50, 51:07).