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Hinds Travel the World for Cover of Charli XCX's 'Girl, So Confusing Featuring Lorde'

  //travel-leisure.news-articles.net/content/2025/ .. rli-xcx-s-girl-so-confusing-featuring-lorde.html
  Published in Travel and Leisure on Tuesday, September 9th 2025 at 14:37 GMT by Rolling Stone
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Hinds Reimagines Charli XCX’s “Girl So Confusing” in a New Cover Video (Rolling Stone Summary)

Rolling Stone’s recent piece on Hinds captures the Spanish indie‑rock trio’s latest creative detour: a cover of Charli XCX’s 2022 pop anthem “Girl So Confusing.” The article, which ran in early September, gives readers a behind‑the‑scenes look at how a band best known for gritty garage‑rock riffs decided to rework a hyper‑pop hit, and what that says about the increasingly porous line between genres. Below is a concise recap of the key points, expanded with contextual details from the linked sources.

From Garage‑Rock to Hyper‑Pop

Hinds—composed of vocalist and guitarist Sara Rodríguez, bassist Miki Rodríguez, and drummer Juan Antonio Martínez—have built a reputation for their lo‑fi, punchy sound that harks back to 1990s Britpop and early indie punk. Their debut EP, Tú (2017), and the 2019 LP Moral cemented them as one of Spain’s most exciting bands. In the Rolling Stone article, the trio’s decision to cover Charli XCX’s “Girl So Confusing” is framed as a bold, almost playful experiment: “It was a fun, no‑pressure way to test our limits,” Miki Rodríguez tells the magazine.

Charli XCX’s original track, part of her Pop 2 album, is a bright, synth‑laden pop song that thrives on its infectious hook and tongue‑in‑cheek lyricism. The Rolling Stone piece notes that the original is emblematic of the “hyper‑pop” movement that blurs pop conventions with experimental production. By contrast, Hinds strip the song down to its core melody, overlaying it with raw guitars, a driving bass line, and a more subdued vocal delivery.

The Production Story

The cover was recorded in a small, basement‑style studio in Madrid, according to the article. The band intentionally kept the mix “loose” and “live,” embracing the imperfections that come with analog recording. In an interview, Sara explains that they wanted the song to feel like it was performed at a show: “We’re all about energy, and that’s what we captured.”

The Rolling Stone piece also highlights that the band used a limited palette of instruments—primarily electric guitar, bass, drums, and occasional synth embellishments. The result is a more “rock‑centric” version that still preserves the catchy hook of the original. A key production choice was raising the vocal pitch slightly, giving the track a more urgent, almost anthemic feel.

Visuals: The “Cover Video” and Lorde’s Influence

The cover’s accompanying video, released on Hinds’ YouTube channel on the same day as the single, is a low‑budget, high‑energy affair. The camera pans across a dimly lit warehouse, with the trio rocking out in close‑up shots that intercut with snapshots of their childhood and early rehearsals. The article describes the aesthetic as “punk‑punk but with a touch of retro.”

An unexpected twist in the video is a brief cameo by singer-songwriter Lorde. The Rolling Stone piece quotes the band’s drummer, who explains that Lorde’s appearance was “a little homage to the indie‑pop scene.” The cameo features Lorde in a black jacket and sunglasses, silently observing the band as they perform. According to the article, the band’s manager confirmed that the cameo was an unplanned, spontaneous decision—something the band found “fabulous and surreal.”

While the cameo does not overtly link to Lorde’s own discography, the visual style of the video has been compared to some of her more cinematic music videos, like “Supercut,” which also feature a mix of performance and narrative elements. The Rolling Stone article, however, stresses that the video is ultimately a celebration of the DIY spirit that defines both Hinds and the indie‑pop community.

Reception and Cultural Context

Hinds’ cover immediately sparked conversation on social media. Fans of the original song were surprised to hear a different take that maintained the core hook but infused it with a distinctly guitar‑driven sound. Rolling Stone’s review highlights that many listeners praised the cover for its originality, noting that it “demonstrates that pop can be transformed by indie sensibilities.”

The article also references comments from other musicians. Former Blink‑182 drummer Travis Barker, who’s known for covering pop songs, praised Hinds for their “authentic rock interpretation.” Meanwhile, Charli XCX herself responded in a tweet, thanking Hinds for reimagining her track and praising their “raw energy.”

The cover also served as a bridge between audiences: older listeners of indie rock now heard a fresh take on a pop anthem, while younger pop fans were introduced to the band’s raw sound. Rolling Stone’s analysis suggests that the cover’s success is partly due to the current musical climate, where cross‑genre experiments are increasingly welcomed.

Additional Resources

The article links to several sources for deeper exploration:

1. Charli XCX’s Original “Girl So Confusing” – The Rolling Stone link includes a snippet of the original track, providing context for the pop side of the cover. It’s described as a quintessential hyper‑pop song, with bright synths and a chorus that sticks in the mind.

2. Hinds’ Official YouTube Channel – The band’s YouTube page hosts the full cover video, complete with Lorde’s cameo. The channel also features behind‑the‑scenes footage that expands on the recording process.

3. Interview with Sara Rodríguez – An additional interview on a Spanish music site provides further insight into the inspiration behind the cover, including references to the band’s earlier influences, such as The Strokes and The Libertines.

4. Lorde’s Recent Works – The Rolling Stone article’s mention of Lorde includes a brief overview of her latest album, Solar Power, highlighting her penchant for blending indie aesthetics with mainstream pop.

Final Thoughts

Rolling Stone’s piece on Hinds’ cover of “Girl So Confusing” goes beyond a simple press release; it’s a snapshot of a moment where indie and pop collided in an unexpected yet delightful way. By stripping down a hyper‑pop track to its essentials, Hinds has demonstrated that genre boundaries are increasingly fluid. The addition of Lorde’s cameo adds an extra layer of pop‑culture resonance, making the cover not just a reinterpretation but a statement about the interconnectedness of modern music scenes.

Whether you’re a long‑time Hinds fan, a Charli XCX devotee, or simply curious about how pop can be reimagined in a garage‑rock setting, the cover offers a fresh perspective. It invites listeners to see familiar melodies in new lights and encourages artists to experiment without fear of alienating their audience. As Rolling Stone’s article concludes, Hinds’ rendition of “Girl So Confusing” is more than a cover; it’s a bridge between worlds, a testament to the creative possibilities that arise when musicians dare to cross their own borders.