“brat” is the sixth studio album by English singer/songwriter Charli xcx. Released in June 2024, her album has swept the nation gaining wide popularity on social media. “brat” is classified as a dance/electronic pop album and features digitally created or adjusted sound effects. The album consists of 15 songs, plus 3 more on her extended album. Charli spoke about what the title of her album means in a Tik Tok interview. She explained that “You are just that girl who is a little messy and maybe says dumb things sometimes, who feels herself but then also maybe has a breakdown but parties through it. It is honest, blunt and a little bit volatile. That’s Brat.”
“brat” is a very synth heavy pop album. This genre of music can connect back to synth pop music from the 80s and feel like throwback music despite it being recent. Many of the most popular songs on the album like “360,” “Apple,” “talk talk,” and “365” feature pulse heavy choruses with strong bass and drum lines. Many of these songs feel like they could easily find their place in a club out on the dance floor. They can even feel like a movie montage.
Many of the songs on this album consist of wordy bridges or choruses that seem to run right into the next section of the song. Charli writes some verses that don’t rhyme and feel more like she’s speaking over a backing track. She switches between fast and slow cadences that almost feel like she’s rapping at times. She layers her own voice on top and in between verses to create complexity and interest.
Charli makes heavy use of repetition throughout by reusing melodic motifs as well as repeating lyrics. Despite reusing material, she is able to make the songs feel like they progress by altering the melodies, the syncopation, and background elements. The use of repeating words or phrases helps get the main idea of each song across, as each addresses a specific feeling or idea.
Party culture is a very strong aspect of the brat album but within that Charli also touches on aging, womanhood, grief, and anxiety. All of these are things that Charli speaks on from her own experience that fans can relate to. She makes an unusual pairing with the synth/pop style and lyrics about insecurity. The duality of coping with everything while still being able to enjoy life as though it’s a party speaks directly to younger generations.
This album has found much success on social media like Tik Tok. One of the choruses from the song “Apple” has sparked a dance trend that thousands have recreated including Charli herself. The album has also come to influence what people are now calling “brat summer” where the clean Barbie girl aesthetic is out and the feral internet girlie is in.
We’re wearing lime green and bumping to her music all summer long, because that’s so Julia.