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"It was kind of born out of fun and born out of just real life enjoyment of the music."

2charm
2charm(Credit: Casey Garnsey)
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There's something strange about 2charm. Maybe it's the fact that the pair are rather evasive when it comes to their identities and their origins, or maybe it's that they both sport some rather familiar faces.

Or perhaps it's the fact that they've managed to craft one of the year's best releases, crack the elusive US market, and set upon an enviable music path without ever really planning to.

However you slice it, you can't fault the nascent duo when it comes to anything they've undertaken to date.

First appearing on the scene in mid-2025, 2charm's presence was swift and impactful. Debut single boyfriend arrived in September, with the pair quickly showcasing an aesthetic that would become intrinsically linked with their music. 

After all, it's hard to see shirtless men decked in little more than NRL shorts (Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys, for your information), dancing the now-viral boyfriend dance without your mind instantly thinking of 2charm.

But this is just one part of what the pair deliver as part of their music – which their Instagram bio describes as "techno sleaze g00ner pop." So, maybe let's start there. What the hell is 'gooner pop'?

"I think it's pop music with a horny edge," they offer cautiously – perhaps a little unsure of how exactly it can be succinctly described. "And it's like a blend of fun, beauty, and horniness all in one."

"Goonerpop is post-hyperpop, dopamine maxing, big edges to big explosive drops," they later add via email, effectively confirming that the mission statement of 2charm is all about having a good time.

But still, the pair are shrouded in mystery. Officially, they offer little backstory, names are overlooked, and instead, the music is left to speak for itself.

What is known, however, is that they're good friends with home grown electronic world-beater Nina Wilson (better known as Ninajirachi), whose influence can be traced back to those early days. They confirm as such when pressed in regard to the origins of the 2charm project.

"We've kind of been working on music just for fun," they explain. "It started out just making some songs with Ninajirachi. The first one was when we had a day free in LA and we were all there at Mallrat's house in Silver Lake… and yeah, we just made a song for fun.

That first track – invisible wings – arrived just last month as the band's third single, with the production process confirming that they'd hit upon something special.

"I remember being in the studio and seeing Nina watching her production-scape come together, being covered in goosebumps, and being like, 'This is something really epic,' but also not really knowing how it would end up coming out into the world at that point

"Then we were just out on a walk in what May of last year, and by that point we'd made more songs with Nina as well as songs with 1tbsp and Simon Lam," they add. 

"We were just listening to the music out of my phone on a walk feeling like this an album that is ready to be shown to the world. The name 2charm had come to mind and we were like, 'Okay, let's start taking steps to birthing this into the world.'"

It was the beauty of this musical connection that encouraged 2charm to become a full project instead of just a one-off affair. After all, with how much high-profile talent was involved in the creation of invisible wings, it's clear that 2charm had plenty to give the world, but what was it that made them decide the world needs another musical project?

"The creative process just felt so euphoric, and I feel like conceptualising what it could be as a project was something that wasn't even on my mind at that point," they explain. "But we'd have parties and stuff our friends would be like, 'Can you please put on those demos?'

"As more songs came to be, there were like more demos to play at parties and it was kind of how the track list came to be: 'Yeah, okay, this one feels good after this one' at a party

"Once there was like a whole collection of songs, that was kind of when it was like, 'Okay, maybe this is something that should be out in the greater world, not just for us and our friends,'" they add. "It was kind of born out of fun and born out of just real life enjoyment of the music."

The collection they're referring to is the debut album, star scum city, which arrives today. It's a euphoric piece of work, one clearly created and curated by a pair of musical minds who share a love of pop and electronic. 

Mix in the addition of acts like Ninajirachi into the so-called 2charm-iverse, and you've got a record which – like the definition of gooner pop – revels in the euphoric, the fun, the horny, and every feeling in between.

Citing acts like Britney Spears, and the impact that artists like Skrillex and Calvin Harris have had on Ninajirachi (and Deadmau5 on Simon Lam), it's a record which carries a global, unifying appeal, but one that doesn't inherently feel like an 'Australian release'.

While one could spend hours ruminating on that topic (after all, Ninajirachi's I Love My Computer is one 2025's best, and its blending of local and international elements could be a key to its success), 2charm make no effort to hide any Australian influence on their work and aesthetic.

One only needs to peep their chosen attire of NRL shorts to know they've got a strong local connection, but they readily admit they like to blur the lines between local and international elements.

"I think it's funny to be two Queensland boys who go to Europe for one European summer and then end up making an album with songs called like you will never be alone in barcelona, chateau, and arc de triomphe," they laugh. "It's like, 'We get it, you went to Europe.'

"But I feel like it is kind of a nice showcase of the global-ness of Australian talent, and I think the producers that we work with are world class. And obviously we're watching Nina explode globally now. So I think we're kind of just really lucky to be working with people who I think are really reaching beyond."

While it's clear that it's hard to mention 2charm without speaking of Ninajirachi's influence, the pair's debut album is one that emerged alongside Nina's own record, which ended up being nominated for Album Of The Year at the 2025 ARIA Awards, taking out Best Independent Release, Best Solo Artist, and Breakthrough Artist alongside the SoundMerch Australian Music Prize win.

One can only wonder how much more impactful her record could have been if she wasn't collaborating with the endearingly-pesky folks in 2charm.

"We had the big European summer and then came straight to Melbourne and ended up working on music with Nina immediately," they explain. "We'd make a really awesome song and be like, 'Are you free tomorrow? Should we do it again tomorrow?' 

"It was when she was working on her album, and we were just having such a good time that we she kept kind of putting it off to work on 2charm," they laugh. "I think we've ended up with two perfect albums."

Describing Nina as a "very important force in the whole process" and noting the approach to her craft is "like actual magic," the Central Coast musician is also responsible for helping 2charm find their way over to the US – appearing before some absolutely massive crowds.

That does warrant the question though; how did the US crowd react to an act who – only six months prior – had no public profile, and are now performing before them with little to no context regarding who they are?

"The tour we just did with Nina was incredible," they exclaim. "Really awesome crowds. Going into it there was kind of a moment of being like, 'I wonder what it's going to be like?' Opening the show for a DJ as a live act with the whole set being choreographed and stuff, it's in some ways an unusual pairing, but it just worked so beautifully. 

"I think you can feel the Nina magic like running through the music, which sort of makes sense that it resonates with her audience. But yeah, it was a really incredible first tour to get to go on.

"On my Spotify Wrapped last year, I was in the top 0.002% of Ninajirachi listeners," they continue. "So I'm a true stan, getting to make music with my favourite artists and going on tour. I can't even put into words how much of an actual dream come true the whole thing is."

While they describe the 2charm live experience as equally "horny and playful", "a bit Heated Rivalry-adjacent," and sitting somewhere between "Addison Rae and Babymorocco," the studio experience allows for a deeply-curated dive into the 2charm-iverse.

Ultimately though, star scum city presents itself as an album that arrived thanks to a fruitful working relationship and the pure joy of creating music.

"It kind of feels in some ways like it just fell in our laps," they offer, acknowledging that it's easily the best way in which one could make an album.

"We kind of have an ethos that everything for 2charm is so fun and so easy. So of course the album is just going to be awesome and not hard to make."

Indeed, making a record such as this is just one of the many highlights that have accompanied the pair over the past year. When asked to reflect on these highlights, the list is a long one.

"Seeing people all around the world doing the boyfriend dance on TikTok," they offer. "This is so funny, this dance that we made up, the people are actually doing it. That was really epic, and I think that really fed the streaming of the song."

As they continue, they also name-check their music video director Joel Wilson and Ninajirachi, while reflecting on the fun involved in curating the project's live aesthetic.

But now that they've made an auspicious debut, conquered America, and released their first album, what's next for 2charm? Sure, there’s more US tour dates, along with shows in the UK and Europe, but what’s their main priority? World domination, or just maintaining a sense of fun?

"Our priority is always fun," they explain. "So it's just about making it as much fun as it can be for us, and it's feeling like that is going to lead to world domination."

Of course, if that all fails, they could always try expanding into new musical territories. Maybe an indie pop quartet? Either way, you can be sure that stellar music will be falling into their laps no matter what route the members of 2charm take.

2charm's star scum city is out now.

This piece of content has been assisted by the Australian Government through Music Australia and Creative Australia, its arts funding and advisory body

Creative Australia