The "XCX World" era is considered a pivotal "lost" chapter in Charli’s career. It sat between her pop-rock era and her full embrace of hyperpop on the Pop 2 mixtape

The album's rollout began with the Vroom Vroom EP in early 2016, followed by the lead single "After the Afterparty" (feat. Lil Yachty) and later the hit "Boys" in 2017. The Role of Spike Stent

However, the professional polish Stent brought to these tracks was soon overshadowed by tragedy. In August 2017, both Charli’s personal Google Drive and Stent’s systems were reportedly hacked, leading to the leak of nearly every track from the era. The "XCX World" Tracklist