I won’t deceive you: I perceived myself as pretty chic for offering small bites at my 31st birthday bash last month. I mean, what could be more mature and stylish than providing attendees with ham-and-cheese swirls to nibble on while they overindulge in drinks? Surprisingly, Charli XCX somehow managed to surpass me during her 32nd birthday celebration in Los Angeles on Friday, which featured none other than Lorde joining Charli on the dance floor to groove to their “Girl, So Confusing” remix.
To be honest, I’m unsure which aspect to highlight first in that award-worthy video clip. Is it Charli’s Brat-green mobile cover? Her impeccably daring, pantless birthday ensemble? Lorde’s quirky little braids? Rachel Sennott and Molly Gordon dancing beside them? The individual in the crowd clearly being FaceTimed in? Or should we pull back to the wider scene that includes the presence of the Manic Pixie Dream Guy himself, Glen Powell (though not necessarily during this exclusive moment, which appeared reserved for the ladies and gays, but generally at the party)?
If Powell’s attendance weren’t remarkable enough, the gathering also included Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Finneas, Gracie Abrams, Addison Rae, Tove Lo, Nelly Furtado, Anya Taylor-Joy, and two of the Willis sisters—specifically, Scout and Tallulah—who came together to mark the transition of our world from being without Charli XCX to being with Charli XCX, and I certainly trust they brought a vast selection of slime green presents.
Ultimately, however, a single extraordinary detail of the birthday celebration had me daydreaming, and it was the exquisite and incredibly on-point cigarette bouquet that singer Rosalía presented to Charli as a birthday gift: