Over the past few months, you have probably heard someone say “that’s so brat.” “Brat summer” took the world by storm, but what is it? What classifies something as “brat,” and why should we care?
First, “Brat” refers to pop singer Charli XCX’s album that was released in early June. The album is electric and poppy, with each track offering a pumping beat, lyrics highlighting the nuances of today’s society, as well as the thrills of partying and being young.
In “Girl, so confusing,” Charli XCX and Lorde comment on the pressures and challenges that come with being a girl in today’s society. They sing, “can’t tell if you wanna see me/ falling over and failing,” and later in the song, “it’s just self defense/ until you’re building a weapon.” The lyrics hint at the weight of society’s expectations on women, and the harm that results from them.
In “360,” a catchy and less serious track, Charli subtly questions identity: “when you look in the mirror, do you like what you see?”
Aside from the music itself, fans were allured by the album’s distinct cover: a lime green background with “brat” written in minimalist arial font.
With an iconic cover, sharp lyrics, catchy melodies, and an unmistakable brand, the album skyrocketed immediately, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard charts. “Brat” became an internet trend within minutes, and was hailed as the album of the summer.
Listeners coined the aesthetic “brat summer,” embracing the messy, cool-girl nature of the album. RAHS Junior Logan said, “Brat summer is the ‘it.’ It’s the summer where you do random stuff for fun.”
“Brat” became a surge in the world of pop culture, as it quickly reached every corner of the internet. Notably, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign headquarters adopted the trend as the theme of their social media pages, prompting Charli XCX to respond by tweeting, “Kamala is brat.”
Senior Louisa Cherry said, “People used [brat summer] as a confidence thing… it kind of gave people the excuse to do whatever.” With its carefree, yet empowering vibe, “Brat” emboldened its listeners. Cherry stated that the trend is “Girly in a very confidence boost-y way. I feel like a lot of the time the girly thing is ‘people pleaser,’ except this is kind of ‘do what you want.’”
Summer is over but the days of “Brat” are far from done. Charli XCX is currently taking the album around the world with the “Sweat Tour,” which also features singer Troye Sivan. In addition, she is set to release the remix album “Brat and it’s completely different but also still brat” on October 11.
“I think [“Brat”] blew up because obviously the album’s amazing… but also because it lets you step out of your comfort zone,” said Logan.
There is no denying the influence of this album, and in the words of Cherry, “If you see a neon green something, you just kind of have to say: ‘that’s so brat.’”
