Charli XCX Takes on Double Duty as Producer and Star in Prime Video Series ‘Overcompensating’

Pop star Charli XCX wears two hats in Prime Video's new series Overcompensating. She works behind the scenes as the executive and music producer, while also playing herself on screen.

According to Variety, "We went into embracing ourselves for challenges ahead. But she was really involved. She was on spotting sessions, she was part of the composing team, and she was giving edit notes on where the score should come in and where it should come out," music supervisor Nicole Weisberg said about Charli while speaking at a guild FYC.

She picked 30 songs for the show. Her hits "Boom Clap" and "Girls Night Out" mix with music from Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, and Nicki Minaj. The blend creates a fresh sound for each scene.

Music chiefs Jen Malone and Nicole Weisberg got song rights from the respective artists early. They named each show after a special track. The first episode, Lucky, takes its name from Spears' chart-topping song and was special to the lead character's story.

The show, Overcompensating, tells the tale of Benny, a first-year college student finding his way. Creator Benito Skinner steps into the lead role, with music setting the mood in every scene.

"I went to college at the same time as him. So, I understand the importance of what that meant to a growth experience at that time," Weisberg stated. She also mentioned that the "Boom Clap" singer and her team were "amazing to work with," as they had all the necessary assets and were ready to execute.

XCX shot her scenes during her busy Sweat tour. "She was in Canada where they were shooting, and it was like, 'Perform the tour, be on set at 5 a.m., and I think they did that all in a 10-hour sequence of time," Weisberg shared.

While they easily secured most songs for the series, one small bump came up when they tried to use music from Brendan Fraser's "George of the Jungle." Finding who owned the rights took time, but content wasn't an issue.

"Overall, compared to shows where we do get a lot of denials, I think this one was pretty easy," Malone said about getting song permissions. You can watch all eight episodes of the first season of Overcompensating now on Prime Video.