By Ashley Ragone
Staff Writer
Amidst the sweat and strobe lights of her Boiler Room set in Brooklyn on Feb. 22, Charli XCX debuted the original tracks that would end up shaping the immortal “brat summer.” Even as we move into September, the abrasive chartreuse and pixelated text are inescapable in popular media. From its underground hyperpop beginnings to its sudden relevancy in the U.S. presidential election, the “brat” legacy is unmatched.
At Charli XCX’s Boiler Room set, she embraced her sixth studio album as a celebration of the “it girl,” joined on stage by Addison Rae and Julia Fox. She further channeled her “messy girl” aesthetic and British rave theme through the unapologetic blend of pulsating beats, bright colors and avant-garde fashion. This intersection of edgy style and dynamic pop sets her apart, even more so as she connects with fans through surprise DJ events alongside The Dare, an up-and-coming indie sleaze artist.
Shortly after Boiler Room, the first single “Von dutch” was released on Feb. 29, with the last two singles “360” and “Apple” released on May 10 and Aug. 2, respectively.
Through the “brat” tracklist, she masterfully sets catchy dance beats behind lyrics that explore relationships, self-identity and unconventional self-reflection. However, TikTok is really to thank for the attention. The social media darling “Apple” reflects on complex familial relationships as well as intergenerational trauma, but is better known for the dance that has garnered over 1.6 million posts on social media.
Kelley Heyer, the creator of the dance, felt the song wasn’t receiving as much love as the other mainstream hits, inspiring her to create a simple dance to boost the attention towards the song. Some notable performances of it include singer Joe Jonas, comedian Stephen Colbert and the entire Team USA Olympic women’s rugby team.
The song “Guess” off the deluxe “brat” album has also received attention for the remix with Billie Eilish, and the popular TikTok trend of people filming themselves strutting to the tune of the song.
“Girl, so confusing,” an anthem for complex female relationships and addressing toxicity in the music industry, was revealed to be about Lorde and her parallel ascension to fame in the 2010s with Charli. In late June, they officially released a remix to the song featuring a verse from Lorde herself.
The final and most impactful piece of “brat” was the marketing campaign. On May 2, Charli XCX cryptically tweeted an address in Bushwick, Brooklyn, that led a swarm of fans to a location now popularized as the “brat wall.” This wall was used to promote the album, the Lorde remix and deluxe edition. The wall forever memorialized the music with the message “ok, bye!”
The color choice of the album is also a clear connection to the experimental and unconventional aesthetic employed by Charli XCX. Despite the “brat” green being bright and frankly off-putting, the yellow-green hue also has deep connections to experimentation and alt styles. In the 1960s, the era of psychedelics was known for its high saturation of colors, and the 1980s saw popular media like “Green Smile” by artist Keith Haring take advantage of the harsh shade. Charli XCX has called these choices both purposely “anti-aesthetic” and rebellious.
Charli XCX’s promotional tactics included changing her other albums’ cover art to mirror the text style of “brat,” and she even reached the political sphere after she tweeted the simple phrase: “kamala IS brat.”
As described by Politico, politicians began attempting to relate to the trend of “over-excited parents hijacking their teenagers’ slang” in an attempt to draw in young voters. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris’ social media profile embraced the assumed endorsement by adopting the notorious shade of green in the banner of the campaign’s X account.
Despite negative attention from some, the memes that have infiltrated her campaign for the presidency have focused the attention of millions of young voters on her campaign. Perhaps “brat” will be the defining voice of the 2024 general election season.
No matter your opinion on her musical stylings, the social impact is undeniable — “brat” is here to stay. Currently, social media is now embracing “brat fall,” styled with a color that can only be described as pumpkin orange, fresh baked cookies and big cable knit sweaters.
If you haven’t gotten enough of the summer season, make sure to see Charli XCX on the road with fellow alternative artist Troye Sivan on their upcoming collaborative tour, and stream the full remix album out next month.
