brat summer: The Impact of Charli xcx’s Album

This past summer was a magical time defined by several characteristics: the controversial Olympics; Biden bidding the presidency goodbye; and Charli xcx’s 15-track, 41-minute house/rave album BRAT (stylized brat)–of which the latter had the most influence over our daily life. 

If you haven’t had the pleasure of listening to the album in its entirety, do yourself a favor and go experience perhaps the most refreshing album of this decade. While overly analytical lyricism and story-telling have infiltrated the world of pop music (thanks, Taylor), Charli xcx did not want any metaphors on the album. Instead, she wanted this album to be a conversation between her listeners and her. For example, several songs (club classics, 365) on the album sing about partying and raving at a club, sometimes excessively so. Phrases like “I’m so Julia” (“360”), “bumpin’ that” (“365”) have already made their way into internet talk, and viral sensations like the “Apple” dance on TikTok have taken over the platform in a storm. 

On the contrary, brat also touches on themes of ego, womanhood, and relationships. “Von dutch” highlights Charli’s reaction to jealousy, “Girl, so confusing,” talks about the confusing dynamic between women, and “Talk talk” is a song about the lack of communication in a relationship. Of course, the three deluxe tracks (“Hello goodbye”, “Guess”, and “Spring breakers”) on her appropriately titled deluxe album Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not extend the conversation of the album. The universal, casual, and easy-going appeal of brat makes it digestible to many, and the topics that the album explores have such a wide range that this album truly encompasses the human experience. 

Charli xcx has also made an effort to diversify her music through collaborating with other artists on remixes. “Girl, so confusing” featuring Lorde is a fan favorite, “Von dutch” featuring Addison Rae exemplifies the hot, partygoer vibe of the song, and “Talk talk” featuring Troye Sivan expertly enhances the song wholly. Some defining songs on the album are: “365,” “Von dutch,” “Girl, so confusing,” “Guess” ft. Billie Eilish, but the entire album is a treat in itself.

The album extended beyond just the scope of the art and entertainment industries, branching out to fields typically not touched on by music. Soon after Biden announced dropping out of the 2024 Presidential election, Kamala’s PR team spent no time establishing social media accounts for her campaign. The day that Harris announced her campaign for the presidential election, Charli xcx tweeted on X (formerly Twitter), “kamala IS brat,” to which the campaign’s TikTok embraced the brat aesthetic. The official “kamala hq” account on X changed their banner to match brat’s album cover, and they began to use brat to campaign for Harris. Edits of Kamala Harris to songs on brat also emerged as support for the presidential candidate. Harris’s embracement of brat effectively popularized herself within the Gen Z and TikTok community, garnering support for the candidate. 

On popular platforms like Roblox and TikTok, brat has become a widespread trend. One of the most popular Roblox games called Dress to Impress(DTI)–where players dress up and compete with other outfits–had a collaboration with Charli xcx. A whole new line of clothing was released along with some brat related dances for the players. The song “Apple” blew up on TikTok with the introduction of a dance associated with the song–gaining popularity as content creators and Olympians began to do the dance.

The brat aesthetic is one that’s hard to define, but can be generalized as one that goes back to the y2k aesthetic, just in lime-green. Charli xcx’s team had a difficult time deciding on how to stylize the album, spending months before deciding on its iconic lime green. But have we seen a similar phenomenon before? 

Circa summer 2023, the biggest craze at the moment was the Barbie movie. Glammed out in hot pink and maximalist motifs, Barbie defined summer. It was even IMSA’s homecoming theme! The similarities between Barbie and brat are undeniable. Beyond both names starting with a b, both sensations were associated with an in-your-face color, maximalist aesthetics, unapologetic feminism, and a focus on living life to the fullest. It almost seems like summers are turning backwards in time to adopt the y2k aesthetic, but I’m glad to have experienced both phenomena “back 2 back.”

Overall, the pop music industry has spoiled us this year with astonishing music. Albums like Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, Kali Uchis’ Orquideas, and Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter have defined the music we listen to today, but none have had the massive phenomenon that is brat. Brat will remain a staple in house/rave music, and will remain one of my most played albums of time.

To support her album, Charli xcx has gone on the Sweat tour in collaboration with Troye Sivan, and they will be performing in Chicago on September 30th. Be sure to keep an eye out for another version of brat, titled Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat, coming out October 11th!