If you haven’t heard of brat summer, there’s a lot to fill you in on. Charli xcx has been making music since 2008, and her newest album, brat, dropped in early June of 2024. The album was an incredibly huge success, and it topped charts in both the UK and US. Despite the somewhat minimalist album cover, brat is full of high energy hyperpop songs that will “shock you like defibrillators” and more mellow, vulnerable tracks that detail Charli’s personal insecurities. So, let’s dive into brat as an album and what it means to have a brat summer.
This article will cover:
- Taking back the word “brat” and diminishing its negative connotations
- The duality of being a brat
- The lime green and Arial font aesthetic
- Huge sunglasses and smudged eyeliner
- The “Apple” dance
- Brat’s impact on social media
- How brat made its way into the 2024 election
- Last thoughts on brat
Why is the album called brat?
Image courtesy of InStyle.
Charli xcx actually named the album “brat” six months before she started writing it! She envisioned the vibe of the album then wrote songs to fit into it, rather than writing songs and picking a title afterwards. As for the color, Charli deliberately chose a “disgusting” and “uncool” color because she wanted to redefine desirability in a new way. The name, cover, and songs came together perfectly and the album was released to millions of excited fans.
Image courtesy of Walmart.
Similar to embracing lime green as something lovable, the word “brat” was given a positive twist through its use as the album concept. While brats are obnoxious, entitled, and hard to deal with, Charli and her fans embrace being self-loving with an attitude. The album helped swap the negative connotations of brat out for something that everyone strived to be. Of course, Charli was not the first to accept being a brat and having a “I’ll do what I want” mindset.
One of the first and most prominent positive uses of “brat” was during the creation of Bratz dolls. Bratz dolls are nothing short of glamorous, sassy, and carefree. They wore extra outfits, rocked dramatic makeup, and had the cutest handbags. Not to mention, they were one of the first lines of dolls that uplifted little girls of color. Bratz effortlessly included diverse skin tones, hairstyles, and experimental makeup. They weren’t just dolls, they taught a whole generation that being high-maintenance is so fun, and it’s for anyone and everyone.
Image courtesy of Variety.
Adding onto this legacy but adding her own twist, Charli has a different take on what it means to be “brat.” She described brat as a messy/trashy, blunt, party girl aesthetic. As a whole, brat embraces that no one is put together all the time and no one makes great decisions 24/7, but that doesn’t stop anyone from having a good time and partying through the chaos. Everything about brat is loud and in your face: bright green, one word taking up the cover, big emotions that clash a bunch, and hyperpop beats. It’s all about not caring and taking things as they are, even if they make you mad enough to “leave to the airport.”
The Complexity of Brat
Image courtesy of Miami New Times.
Although brat might sound like it centers all around having stupid, chaotic fun, it’s not all happy. Charli xcx showcases her complex emotions in many songs over the album. “Everything is romantic” is exactly what it sounds like: dreamy and lovey dovey. Self doubt and the fear of falling behind is present in “I think about it all the time.” Jealousy is all over “Sympathy is a knife.” Charli is a stunning, unstoppable pop girl, and she still gets vulnerable about her duality—feeling indestructible yet falling apart at the same time. Being brat isn’t about being pretty or wearing green, it’s about being honest and owning up to every part of yourself.
The Brat Aesthetic
Image courtesy of Fast Company.
The official brat merch has both the lime green background and faded Arial writing on most items. Everything is straight to the point: the tops flat out say “brat” or exact song lyrics. The shirts are priced around $40 each. The towel says “towel” and the baseball hat says “charli” in all lowercase letters. They are available for $60 and $35, respectively. The keychains feature pictures of Charli xcx on them, and they sell for about $10 each. There are also records and packages of multiple items for sale, as well as a water bottle and poster. Charli did exactly what she set out to do: she chose a color that she thought was the ugliest possible thing and quickly turned it into the hue of the summer.
Image courtesy of The Mirror.
Charli xcx often rocks winged eyeliner that is smudged, winged, and borders her whole eye. This has become a staple to the aesthetic, because what is more brat than making messy eyeliner look gorgeous? Her eye makeup is usually very smokey and dramatic, while the rest of her face is more minimal and natural.
Image courtesy of Pretavoir.
Sunglasses with big frames are also one of Charli’s go-tos. They’re super dramatic and obvious, while still being chic. Wearing sunglasses inside or when it's cloudy out is heavily party-girl coded—bright lights are not hang-over friendly. Plus, wearing sun protection when there’s no sun? Super bratty.
Brat’s Impact on Social Media
Image courtesy of People.
Tik Tok has a huge impact on the music industry, and the fun, simple dance for “Apple” definitely helped brat reach a broader audience. The creator of the dance, Kelley Heyer, made huge waves with the dance, and Charli herself has posted herself performing the choreo. Fans have taken part in learning and posting the dance, which allowed them to interact with each other and form a community of brat lovers.
Image courtesy of Reddit.
Brat fans have gone crazy making memes inspired by the album. They’re all about how people eat, sleep, and breathe brat, from listening to it at work or thanking Charli for blessing them. They also label random lime green items as being “brat coded.” In fact, Charli xcx has people so obsessed with “brat” that it has even made its way into politics.
Brat and Kamala Harris
Image courtesy of Glamour.
Charli’s three word “kamala IS brat” post on X has turned into a full fledged part of the presidential nominee’s campaign. Kamala’s team readily accepted the label, and they embraced that young Gen Z voters express support for Kamala through brat. If this combination wasn’t bizarre enough, many Kamala brat posts also have to do with coconuts and coconut trees.
Image courtesy of USA Today.
Kamala was quoted asking “you think you just fell out of a coconut tree?” while laughing, and then explaining that “you exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you” last year. Understandably, Gen Z found this a really funny way to say that people are shaped by both nature and nurture. The internet has been flooded by endearing coconut tree posts. Moreso, there have been several edits of Kamala saying this quote with brat songs playing in the background and a lime green filter over her.
Last Thoughts on brat
It’s no wonder why the internet is going crazy over brat. It’s honest, angsty, and fun—what’s not to love about that? As it goes to show, almost anything and everything becomes a trend at some point. Clean girl aesthetic to messy, trashy brat is just the latest switch. Just remember that if you’re participating in the hottest new thing, do it out of genuine interest and not out of obligation to conform to those around you. You don’t have to change a thing about yourself to feel your best, and that’s exactly what brat’s about anyways. Happy brat summer, angels.
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