It's the summer of the brat!

Charli XCX dropped her brand new album 'Brat' this June, making way for a major pop cultural event!

14 July, 2024

The summer kicked off with a series of romantic pop-centric songs that, although catchy, began to grate on my nerves owing to their repetition on my social media feed. Speaking of which, the flavour this summer has been somewhat dull and lacking in comparison to some of the previous years (looking at trad wife and clean girl). Or so it seemed until Charli XCX dropped her 6th studio album Brat early in June. Since then, the impact it has had on pop culture is unparalleled. It is eerily similar to the Barbie effect from last year when pink was so in demand the world almost ran out of pink paint. Brat has now taken ownership of a particular shade of lime green, with the album art featuring a simple box of the shade and “brat” spelled out in a simple, blurry font.

Charli XCX’s Brat has proved to be more than just an album; it’s pretty much a cultural phenomenon at this point. The initial scepticism around the minimalist album cover quickly dissipated as the music began to resonate with a global audience. Social media platforms were flooded with users adopting the album’s aesthetic, swapping their profile pictures for lime green backgrounds emblazoned with their names or references in the iconic “brat” font.

The songs, a mix of rebellious anthems and introspective tracks, provide the perfect soundtrack for a summer that demands authenticity and self-expression—a decidedly contrary approach from the summer vibes prevalent till then. Tracks like ‘Girl So Confusing’ featuring Lorde explored the complexities of female friendships with a raw honesty that struck a chord with many, while ‘Sympathy is a Knife’ delivered a biting vibe that became an anthem for the unapologetic.

What exactly is brat summer?

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Coined by Charli XCX herself, Brat Summer is all about embracing your most unapologetic self. It’s an era defined by a renaissance of sleazy fashion choices, smudgy make-up, and feisty attitude—all the distinguishing traits of a ‘brat’. Quite literally, ‘brat’ has always outlined the annoying toddler who engineers a public meltdown in the mall for a toy train and the girl who has no qualms about wearing the teeniest shorts possible, much to the displeasure of her family. In the past month, Charli has more or less transformed it into a marker of coolness. The brat is now more than just a slur for the decadent youth; it’s a genderless, all-encompassing vibe.

The ‘brat green’ has penetrated all spheres of social media—the beauty girls are decked out in the flashy shade, posters are going up people’s walls, and a certain personality has been assigned to it. The first step to achieving it would be, in popular ‘brat’ opinion, going braless in your slinky white tanktops (an effortlessly mismatched outfit that your mom hates will do very well), letting your hair do its own thing, and wearing smudgy make-up that screams “I’ve been in the club for the last 3 hours and I’m not stopping now” (yes, add some shiny stuff).

So girls (and guys), keep bumpin’ that 360 this summer. Be petty and niche, just like mother (Charli) intended. That’s your ‘brat summer’ right there.

Lead image credit: Getty Images

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