Charli XCX proves she’s ready to be your number one with her new album ‘Brat’
Words by Julia Norton
Photo Credit: Harley Weir
Newsflash: being a pop girl is hard work. Who better to share the inside scoop on the trials and tribulations of being the hot girl of cult classic pop than Charli XCX herself, something she gets candid about in her newest album Brat. The artist’s highly anticipated album of the summer is full of electropop just begging to be played in the clubs as expected, but Charli keeps us on our toes by sharing some deeper lyrics behind the pulsing dance beats.
Charli XCX is an artist who has been on my radar in recent years, but not in the way you would expect. I’ve been following Charli’s work predominantly in the film industry, as she has been booked and busy writing music for several campy, female-led movies that have grown to be some of my favorites. From “Speed Drive” on the Barbie soundtrack, to “Hot Girl (Bodies Bodies Bodies)” on the A24 film Bodies Bodies Bodies soundtrack (a personal favorite from her discography), and even cowriting most of the music featured in the film Bottoms, Charli knows how to use her musical excellence to back cinematic moments. It’s her work in film soundtracks (let us not forget “Boom Clap” that brought Charli into the mainstream back in 2014) that introduced me to her individual music projects, and now Brat has been integrated to my current listening rotation.
Brat is all about how it feels to be an it-girl in modern media, from the highs of being an aesthetic muse and pop sensation to the lows of not knowing what is real or fake in your relationships and your feelings. Having fame and success is a polarizing experience, especially for women in the industry who are constantly compared to each other and made to believe that everyone is your competition. Even some of the most ego-centric songs on the record hint at a facade of confidence, making the perceivably self-empowered lyricism all part of the act. Charli XCX is undoubtedly “just living that life”, but she also thinks about whether she deserves her place in the industry and the fear of losing it all when the hype fades. One of my favorites on Brat is “Sympathy is a knife”, a song that I truly can’t get enough of. Charli cuts deep in the way she cannot help but compare herself to other successful women in music, but she knows she can’t change who she is to fit the mold of popstar perfection. The verses show the battle between Charli’s wavering confidence and how she does not want to relate to some of the other artists she has to share the space with. The chorus has some of the most standout lyricism in the whole album:
“Cause I couldn’t even be her if I tried / I’m opposite, I’m on the other side / I feel all these feelings I can’t control / Oh no, don’t know why / All this sympathy is just a knife / Why I can’t even grit my teeth and lie?”
Her major role in cult classic pop is not the only theme of the album, as Charli even unpacks generational trauma (“Apple”), grief (“So I”), and desired motherhood (“I think about it all the time”) amongst the tracklist. These heavier themes caught many listeners including myself by surprise during the first listen, and just shows how Charli is here to have fun but also has some serious shit to say. I think a lot of fans will find these songs resonating with them, especially other young women who are going through life changes and facing harsh realities that hit in adulthood. Heavy lyrics in consideration, Charli successfully begs the question of why can’t girls who party hard also have stellar emotional intuition? Now that is icon behavior.
As if releasing a 10 out of 10 album of the summer wasn’t enough, Charli XCX has already released a deluxe version of Brat titled Brat and it’s the same but there’s three more songs so it’s not. It’s safe to say that Charli is the people’s camp counselor this season, especially with these three bonus tracks that keep the fire burning all night long. Not to mention the recent release of the “Girl, so confusing” remix featuring Lorde, a song that fans immediately speculated to be about the beloved pop artist who is frequently compared to Charli. This jaw-dropping duet is now the second song Lorde has collaborated on this year, and her verse is bursting with brutal honesty. Right before the final chorus, the pop sensations both sing these absolutely cunning lines:
“People say we’re alike / They say we’ve got the same hair / It’s you and me on the coin /The industry loves to spend / And when we put this to bed /The internet will go crazy / I’m glad I know how you feel / ‘Cause I ride for you, Charli”
With Brat, Charli is breaking the rules and completely changing the possibility of what pop music can be, and the cultural impact of art that is more daring and refuses to be tamed. As we head into Brat Summer, be sure to break out that white tank, assemble your night out crew, and hit the dance floor as your most authentic self. Remember, the essence of Brat is honesty, not perfection. Be messy, be yourself, and if you find yourself lost, just play the album and ask yourself WWCD (what would Charli do?) Charli XCX’s music is available for streaming everywhere, because she’s so Julia, duh.
