CULTURE
“Brat Summer" and it’s completely different but also still brat in but in the Fall: The Lasting Impact of Charli XCX’ Brat
By: Mayeya Dominguez Edited by: McKenna McCormick
Charli XCX’s album Brat took social media by storm in the summer of 2024, with Gen Z coining the term “Brat Summer” to capture the bold aesthetic of the album and apply it to their daily lives. Now, with the release of her new album Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat this month and the Sweat tour with Troye Sivan, Charli XCX continues to dominate pop culture. Despite the overwhelming response, Charli admitted in a recent Apple Music interview that she hadn’t anticipated such widespread success. She explained that the album’s minimalistic cover was a budget-conscious choice, as she doubted it would have mass appeal. Contrary to her expectations, her music prompted a cultural reset and people want it to remain popular, and not just be a summer trend.
Released on June 7, 2024, Brat was an instant success. The album gained attention for its individuality, and not just the typical, basic radio pop hits. It mixes the idea of living a carefree and rebellious life, accompanied by a vulnerable and personal side. Throughout the summer, TikTok was the main platform where dances and trends promoted the concept of “Brat Summer.” The album reached an even wider audience on July 22nd, with Charli posting “Kamala IS brat” on X to describe Vice President Harris’s attitude and energy, propelling “Brat Summer” into mainstream culture.
Brat Summer continued to flourish as Charli XCX began teasing remixes of tracks from the album shortly after its release. On June 21, she released the remix of “Girl, it’s so confusing” featuring Lorde, drawing significant attention on social media due to the two artists having had problems in the past. The remixes of her songs are popular because the new version often sounds like a completely new song, and her audience appreciates the new style in her remixes. On August 1, she released the song “Guess” featuring Billie Eilish which was a surprise for fans. Although the Sweat tour with Troye Sivan recently ended, it continued the brat movement through the fall with their release of “Talk Talk” on September 12. Finally, on October 11, Charli XCX released the remix album that fans had been anxiously awaiting. Featuring artists like Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish, the album has continued to trend on social media.
Fans claimed “brat green” as the color of the album and the culture surrounding it. The "brat summer" aesthetic celebrates being a carefree party girl. It emphasizes self expression and the confidence to embrace personal music and style preferences, regardless of what others may think. Brat style includes items like sunglasses (at any time and any place), Von Dutch trucker hats, and takes significant inspiration from the Y2K style. Similar to grunge street style, it is characterized by messy makeup, clothing items that might not match, and of course, the color “brat green.”
Charli XCX created an unprecedented cultural movement with her album this summer. With her continued online presence and the release of new, original content every month, she managed to keep the movement alive through the summer and fall. In a world where everything is sped up, and trends now come and go without barely realizing it, Charli XCX managed to create not just a trend with her new music, but a cultural reset.
