Did you have a Brat summer? Is your wardrobe all electric-green? Are you subtly obsessed with house music now? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions then you already know the UK-born, Indian-Scottish pop icon that is Charli XCX. Legally known as Charlotte Emma Aitchison, Charli XCX has taken the world by storm with her Party Girl raves and secret basement shows across the globe. She never ceases to amaze her audiences with stellar performances and bass drops that will echo in your soul. Her music career is not linear whatsoever, and her coming-to-stardom story is one for the books.
The year was 2010. Statement necklaces, social media challenges, and silly bands were all the rage. Pop culture was moving towards a slightly edgy, more relatable tone. Chari XCX had been picked up by a record company as she began releasing singles and mixtapes. Fast-forward two years into 2012, she released her ground-breaking, record-smashing hit “I Love It.” Charli teamed up with Icona Pop, and this song became an international hit. If you think you don’t know this song, think again. Just think of the first song that comes to mind when you hear “I love it” in a British accent. Yup… it’s that song.
Charli XCX has been working in the industry ever since then, pulling through with constant bangers. She opened for Taylor Swift on her “Reputation” tour back in 2018 (also… shoutout to Swifties! We all have been waiting for Taylor’s Version to drop). This type of exposure is what helped Charli gain a new following in the mainstream pop world. However, this moment was not too bright for Charli. She had gone into an interview with Pitchfork, explaining how she was grateful that Taylor had asked her to open, but she said she had “felt like [she] was getting up onstage and waving to 5-year-olds.” Fans were personally hurt and had taken to social media to express their disdain. Charli later apologized and decided never to go against the Swifties ever again.
Flash forward to the summer heat of June 2024. The internet is boiling with mysterious posters plastered all over the globe’s biggest cities. From the flashing lights of NYC to the cosmopolitan capital of Barcelona, lime green messages were shared. June calls for beach parties and that sweet feeling of freedom from college classes. It’s almost like Charli had known exactly what we needed. On June 7, 2024, her sixth studio album, Brat, debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, number two on the UK charts, and Top 10 in multiple different countries. This album is the perfect combination of Gen Z realness, cool-girl aesthetics, and “angsty teenage girl bedroom” vibes. Teaming up with her long-time friend and producer, A.G. Cook, and her partner, George Daniel, she released this star-studded piece of art. If the name George Daniel rings a bell, he is the drummer and producer of the alternative group The 1975. George Daniel and Charli XCX had run in the same circles for the longest time and decided to tie the knot with their recent engagement announcement. Both artists are extremely talented and impressive in their art. Charli and George are the epitome of “It Couple.”
Charli is now on tour with the stylish, versatile, and trendsetting Troy Sivan. They are currently in North America spreading the word of the escapism in partying and yearning for true love in a sweaty basement. Troy and Charli are the perfect touring duo. Their playful songs, paired with strobe lights and alluring background dancers, will be sure to give every audience the best concert experience. Their tour is called “The Sweat Tour,” which is very fitting because their music is sure to get your heart racing. I wish I could have been at their Madison Square Garden performance on Monday, September 23, but the school called, and I had to answer… typical Stevens student.
Brat is packed with house music beats and experimental lyrics. She boasts about her coolness in songs like “360” and “Club Classics.” Combining hyperpop with dance and electropop is something only Charli could pursue. Her Tiktok viral, “Apple,” is a fun tune that subtly speaks on her issues with generational trauma inherited from her parents. Charli does this cool thing where she masks deep, emotional lyrics under her crazy electronic beats.
If you are going out on a Saturday night and you need something to get you excited, play Brat. This album is for all the people who skipped laundry day and slept in their makeup. If you wake up in your eyeliner or you greet the day with the outfit you wore the night before, you are very Brat. Giving your parents a hard time or spending more money than you have is the best way to fit into this subculture. Grab your neon green clothes, team up with your best friends, and fuel your next Saturday night with Charli XCX’s Brat.
