Genre: Pop/Hyperpop Label: Atlantic Records
Charli XCX is no stranger to pushing boundaries, and her latest album Brat is a electrifying reminder of her ability to reinvent pop music. It’s a bold, unapologetic exploration of youthful defiance , and experimental soundscapes that solidifies her status as a genre-defying force in the music industry.
Brat is a sonic adventure sculpted by the combined forces of her trusted collaborators- longtime producer A.G Cook, experimental mastermind Finn Keane, renowned producer Cirkut and her partner George Daniel. With the help of the producers and Charlie's talent, the album was nominated for a total of nine Grammy nominations.
Charli XCX, a stage name for Charlotte Aitchinson, was born in London, England. Therefore, on Brat she drew influences form the gritty energy from the 2000s English rave scene, channeling the era’s raw, high octane beats with a much aggressive club sound than her previous albums, Crash (2022).
The first single from Brat, Von dutch sets the tone for the album with its infectious confidence and high energy aura. The single was released on February 28th, 2024, initiating the defrosting of #BratSumer. Named after the iconic early 2000s fashion brand, the track is a declaration of self assurance, where Charli embraces her flair of individuality. By leading with "Von Dutch," Charli XCX signals that Brat will not just be an exploration of vulnerability, but also a fierce celebration of the complex, multi-faceted self—an empowering manifesto wrapped in bold, infectious pop.
Brat is not just a sonic journey- it’s a raw and honest confrontation with the self. On tracks like 360 asks the poignant question: “When in the mirror do you love who you see?” This moment encapsulates the internal struggle of self-love over a very infectious beat that would make anyone feel confident. The video for 360 had many very special cameos like Rachel Sennott, Julia Fox, Quenlin Blackwell and other “it girls” bridging the world of music and fashion. While on topic of Charl’s confidence, there is also a sense of reminiscing on her career. Rewind highlights her feeling about her time in the music industry as she desires to turn back time. She longs and yearns in this exploration of nostalgia, it’s a bittersweet moment and the juxtaposition of the experimental sound and the emotional depth showcases her ability to blend the two.
In, Sympathy is a knife, Charli declares she’s “at war with my dialogue,” a stark exploration in the tension between inner criticism and self-compassion. The track acts as a battle cry against the toxic narratives created in our heads. Charli softly sings on. I think about it all the time which also follows the narrative into self discovery.
Similar to Rewind, Charli discusses more about her identity in her career in Girl, so confusing. Girl, so confusing, hints at a comparison of another female artists that Charli shares similar features with. Fans speculated that the song was about Japanese artist Rina Sawaayama, Marina Diamandis, or Lorde. Charli then confirmed that the artist she grew the muse form was indeed Lorde. Charli even hints at this with this line in particular: ‘You’re all about writing poems, But I’m about throwing parties”. Luckily Lorde and Charli did work it out on the remix. So,I is a raw track that features a sad beat and emotional illustration of Charli’s good friend and producer SOPHIE. In 2021, SOPHIE unfortunately passed away after accidentally falling off of a rooftop. SOPHIE was a collaborator on many projects of Charl’s career, therefore, listening to how that affected Charli is incredibly emotional and it was one of the tracks that was instantly memorable.
There is also another side of Charli that she is showing, her love life. Talk, Talk dives deep into Charli’s love for her now fiancee George Daniel. Charli delves into the vulnerability of communication and the challenges of expressing one’s true feelings.“wish you just talk, talk to me”, a declaration of connect and confusing. Everything is romantic continues the exploration of love and even includes a nice orchestra at the beginning of the track, adding a more dreamy tone to it. Charli sings about how viewing the world in rose-colored glasses- where even the smallest gestures leads to a romantic charge. And then there is Apple and B2b, are tracks that follows the stages of falling out of love. Apple uses the metaphor of an apples progression, which is incredibly creative songwriting. The track also birthed a TikTok viral dance. These songs together creates a relatable vantage point of Charli’s viewpoints on love.
Now, with all the vulnerability that Charli displays on the album, there is always the classic Charli XCX party girl fierceness. With lyrics like “sweat marks on my clothes,” in Club classics, Charli XCX paints a picture of a night fueled by wild energy and unabashed freedom. Mean Girls follows suit with its confidence and playful jabs at society's social dynamics and its fascination with “mean girls”. The album ends with Charli reminding us that she is a “365 party girl”. In 365, Charli makes sure we celebrate and be the ultimate party girls and highlights her lifestyle. The tracks beat is very clubby with its pulsing beat and hook.
Together these songs make up the musical DNA of what Charli XCX embodies. She is not just a person, but a mindset, a lifestyle. Even though some tracks were a tad bit instrumental heavy, it is refreshing to have a artist revamp the hyper pop genre. Charli’s declaration of living fully and unapologetically reminds listeners to just enjoy life.
The Meta critic score for this album is 95%, while the Pitchfork review is 86%. However, this album is more on the lines of 78% to me.
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